King Jan Sobieski to conquer screens
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
22.06.2012 18:00
A lavish international production portraying a Polish king's historic victory at Vienna in 1683 will be shown in cinemas in 50 countries across the world, its director has revealed.
Jerzy Skolimowski as King Jan III Sobieski: photo - Monolith Films/ Andrea Chisesi
Some 10,000 extras and 3000 horses were used in Italian film-maker Renzo Martinelli's epic about the Siege of Vienna, a turning-point in European history in which Polish King Jan III Sobieski helped repulse the Ottoman army from the gates of Vienna.
The role of the Polish monarch was taken by director and occasional actor Jerzy Skolimowski (Essential Killing, dir.), who was joined by other Polish thespians including Piotr Adamczyk, Alicja Bachleda-Curus and Daniel Olbrychski.
F. Murray Abraham, famed for playing Mozart's nemesis Salieri in Milos Foreman's Amadeus, plays the central role of Marco d'Aviano, a Capuchin friar who was an advisor at the court of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I in Vienna.
“In my opinion, I think that this film could change people's perceptions of Poland, by showing that it had the best cavalry in the world and saved Europe,” Martinelli said in an interview with the Polish edition of Newsweek magazine.
Scenes for the production were shot at various Polish locations, including the historic residences of Wilanow, Baranow Sandomierski and Lancut. Battlescenes were shot in Romania.
Martinelli is currently working on post-production, with cinematic distribution scheduled for October.Those countries not showing the film in cinemas will be able to screen the production in the format of a five-part television mini-series. (nh)