15/12/2021 - The novel by Arturo Pérez-Reverte has been adapted by Colombia’s Sergio Dow, with Amaia Salamanca and Richard Armitage playing the lead roles

Amaia Salamanca and Richard Armitage on the set of The Man from Rome

The Man from Rome, the film adaptation of Arturo Pérez-Reverte’s novel Seville Communion, has been shooting over the course of the last few months in iconic locations in Seville, Madrid and Rome. Directed by Sergio Dow, it boasts an international cast made up of Richard Armitage (seen not long ago in Pilgrimage [+see also:
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The synopsis tells of how, when he glimpses a dilapidated church in Seville, a priest called Urbizu stops in his tracks and pleads for God’s help, but a section of ledge falls suddenly, killing him. Far away, in the Vatican, a hacker leaves an unexpected message on the Pope’s personal computer, assuring him that the Church of Our Lady of Tears is killing people in order to protect itself. Intrigued, the Holy Father orders the Secretariat of State to investigate and stave off any scandal. Its director, Monsignor Spada (Paul Guilfoyle), will entrust the mission to his best agent, a priest called Quart (Richard Armitage), who has lengthy experience in the more murky matters of the Holy See. Meanwhile, back in the Andalusian capital of Seville, aristocrat Macarena Bruner (Amaia Salamanca), a divorcee and the owner of the rights over the land where the Church of Our Lady of Tears stands, is causing an uproar with her affair with a flamenco dancer, while she swans about the city flirting and occupies a key position in a group that opposes the demolition of the church.

This ambitious co-production between Spain, Colombia and Italy was shot in English and was helmed by Colombia’s Dow, a producer and director with more than 100 works under his belt, spanning all manner of different genres, including documentaries, comedies, dramas and action flicks. Of particular note is El día que me quieras (1986), the winner of the Casa de las Américas Prize at the Havana Film Festival and the Gold Hugo for Best Film at the Chicago International Film Festival.

Furthermore, this film marks the return of an Arturo Pérez-Reverte work to the big screen, following hits such as The Fencing Master, Comanche Territory, The Ninth Gate and The Nautical Chart. Also among his most illustrious creations is a novel that, in 2006, was adapted as Alatriste [+see also:
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The Man from Rome is being produced by Piel del tambor AIE (Enrique Cerezo PC), Fundación Enic Producciones and Augusto Color SRL. It has secured backing from the ICAA (Ministry of Culture and Sport), and sees the involvement of Prime Video and RTVE.

(Translated from Spanish)