“Joachim and the Apocalypse” the American actor Nikolay Moss will be Richard I, King of England.
Inspired by the life of Joachim of Fiore (Gioacchino da Fiore, ‘giant’ that radiates so much light even after centuries): the first international film is about to start; the American actor Nikolay Moss will be Richard I, King of England.
It may be because each epoch awakens its own wars – unfortunately a more topical issue than ever – and, consequently, its own ‘apocalypses’; will be the charm of the Middle Ages, that dark period that returns almost perpetually: it is certain that after 820 years Joachim of Fiore, “« …with a prophetic spirit gifted “”, as Dante Alighieri defined him, quoting him in the Divine Comedy (he placed among the wise in the twelfth canto of Paradise), he is still among the leading Italian figures most studied abroad.
“Joachim and the Apocalypse” (Il monaco che vinse l’Aposalisse) is a film inspired by this figure and was announced last year in Cannes by director Jordan River, who is now preparing to direct it. A work that deals with the ‘Joachimity’ apocalypse (in it the past events are enigmatically depicted, but also the future ones announced, the opening of sealed things and the revelation of hidden ones are exposed), a moment in history in which there is no it can do without a new spiritual vision, which can take place precisely in the age of the Spirit, as the medieval thinker hinted at. Authorized by three Popes to write about the Apocalypse, Joachim of Fiore became the bearer of a new vital breath, since he did not simply echo spiritual aspects, but devoted himself to an examination of the history of humanity. It is no coincidence that the great Michelangelo Buonarroti was inspired by the Gioachimite thought in the composition of the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. The King of England, the Lionheart, before going to the Holy Land for the third crusade against the fearless warrior and Sultan Saladin, for the conquest of Jerusalem, asked to meet Joachim of Fiore, and wanted him to explain and interpret the apocalyptic symbol of the seven-headed dragon.
The production, curated by “Delta Star Pictures”, has announced that the role of Richard I King of England in the film “Joachim and the Apocalypse” will be played by American actor Nikolay Moss (already winner of the 2017 prize Emmy Award, the most important international television award, considered the equivalent of the Oscar for cinema).
Several Italian regions affected by the filming, not only Lazio and Cinecittà Studios, but also various southern regions will become open-air sets, including Basilicata, Puglia and, of course, Calabria, where inspections in different areas have recently been completed, from the Sila National Park to the Pollino National Park: Cosenza, Civita, San Sosti, Rossano, Frascineto, Oriolo, Roseto Capo Spulico, Scigliano, Zungri, San Giovanni in Fiore, just to name a few.
Filming also planned at Lake Vagli, in Tuscany, and in Emilia Romagna, a region where the only example of the ‘Liber Figurarum’ in Italy is jealously guarded – a very rare medieval illuminated manuscript conceived and drawn by Gioacchino da Fiore – the most beautiful and important collection of figural and symbolic theology of the Middle Ages. The other two specimens are kept abroad, in England, in Oxford, and in Dresden, Germany.
The film is supported by the Ministry of Culture and by various bodies and regions, including the Calabria Film Commission Foundation, as well as by various international partners. A research work that lasted a few years in which, in addition to the writer, journalist and screenwriter Michela Albanese, medievalist historians and illustrious scholars also collaborated, including Valeria De Fraja (medievalist and member of the Scientific Committee of the International Center of Gioachimiti Studies) and the well-known philosopher Andrea Tagliapietra (he has written several books, including on Gioacchino da Fiore for Feltrinelli, as well as director of the Interdisciplinary Research Center for the History of Ideas).
For the realization of the film, the collaboration of numerous internationally recognized and appreciated professionals, including the set designer Davide De Stefano (formerly conceptual artist for the film “The knights who made the enterprise” by Pupi Avati, production designer for “The Cursed Ones” and for the recent American production “Voice from the Stone” by ED Howell with actress Emilia Clarke, also known for the hit series Game of Thrones) and the Makeup Supervisor And Special effects Designer Vittorio Sodano (Oscar nomination for “Apocalypto” by Mel Gibson and for “Il Divo” by Sorrentino, winner of 2 David di Donatello).
All that remains is to hope that the winds of war that blow over the world in these times will gradually vanish and, as Joachim announced, leave room for a climate of purity and freedom to enjoy greater grace.
The seven-headed Dragon. Liber Figurarum (Oxford, England) – a very rare medieval illuminated manuscript conceived and drawn by Joachim of Fiore – the most beautiful and important collection of figural and symbolic theology of the Middle Ages.
More info Cinecittà News | ITALY for MOVIES
