Martin Scorsese is set to direct a documentary film in Sicily about ancient shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea. The project will bring the filmmaker back to his roots in Polizzi Generosa, which is the small town where his grandparents were born.
The doc will be made from the research that’s been done by U.S. archaeologist Lisa Briggs, who is a professor and researcher at Cranfield University in England.
Briggs is a specialist in terrestrial and underwater archaeology, and “the use of scientific tools including DNA analysis on artifacts recovered from ancient shipwreck sites, to reconstruct stories of ships, sailors, cargoes, and maritime trade in the ancient world.”
As a history buff, this sounds really cool! Francesco Paolo Scarpinato, Sicily’s councillor for cultural heritage, told Italian news agency ANSA: “We’ve welcomed the initiative with enthusiasm.”
He added that the island’s authorities are “making all pertinent sites and archaeological parks available, considering the relevance of the project.”
The doc will be shot in “Sicilian terrestrial and underwater locations comprising the Strait of Sicily; the area surrounding the port city of Trapani, in Sicily’s north-west corner and nearby Marausa, known for the recent discovery of the “Marausa 2” wreck of a large sunken ship dating to the third century A.D.; in the archaeological parks of Selinunte and Lilybaeum-Marsala; the Caves of Cusa, and on the tiny island of Pantelleria.
“Selected locations also include the historic tuna fishery on the island of Favignana; the ancient Phoenician colony of Mozia; the medieval village of Erice and Polizzi Generosa, the town on a high cliff along the southern slopes of Sicily’s Madonie mountains, homestead to the director’s paternal grandparents, Teresa and Francesco Scorsese, before they immigrated to New York at the turn of the century.”
The doc will start shooting this summer and it should be an incredible project to be a part of! I love exploring remote areas, and something like this would be such an amazing experience!
Source: Variety
