The Dovekeepers Premiers on CBS
Category: Television and StreamingThe Dovekeepers is based on a novel by Alice Hoffman. It’s the first program from CBS’ limited series and events unit and will air in two parts on March 31 and April 1, 2015.
Rachel Brosnahan and Cote de Pablo star in this fictionalized account of the siege of Masada. “A few years ago, I had the good fortune to read this amazing book by Alice Hoffman,” Roma Downey told the media. She is the executive producer of The Dovekeepers. “I absolutely fell in love with the story. I had been to Masada a few years ago and had been so profoundly touched by the story of a persecuted people who, in the face of that persecution, had stood up for what they believed in, where courage was greater than fear, and faith and love was greater than hate, and the power of sacrifice greater than war.”
Masada was a hilltop fortress originally built by King Herod. Located near the Dead Sea, it was the destination for over 900 people who sought safety and peace after the Romans started destroying Jerusalem and killing all the Jews. These people formed a self-sustaining community, feeling they would be safe from the Romans who were scouting the land for the remaining Jews. In the end, the people decided they would rather die free than be killed or captured by the Romans. Only a few people survived to tell the story.
When talking about the actual story of Masada and this movie, Downey was very passionate. “The story of Masada” she said, “has been told to us historically through the writings of Josephus (played by Sam Neill). And Alice Hoffman said when she went to Masada and she learned through these writings that only two people and five children survived, she took that as the seed of a narrative, and she built this beautiful story around it. And so we have the license to create this beautiful fictional story and the grounding of the historic story. But what attracted me to the story was that it had these amazing courageous and powerful women. For many years, as an actress myself, I was always looking for the story or the scripts that could really put women out to the front and center. And this story certainly does that. It’s profoundly moving, and it’s incredibly inspiring.”
The first night of the two-night event, introduces Shirah (de Pablo) and Yael (Brosnahan) and their stories unfold as they retell what happened to Josephus, an historian for the Romans who was intent on learning everything about the two women, their histories, and the siege of Masada. The siege plays out on the second night. Although most of the filming took place in Malta, the filmmakers did film some aspects of the actual mountaintop fortress.
“We might have liked to have filmed at Masada,” explained Roma Downey, “but that didn’t work out. But we were able to shoot for a few days at Masada. We have beautiful drone shots and flyovers that we were able to accomplish there. And some of the desert work we were able to achieve in Jordan. But the bulk of the principal photography took place in Malta.”
Her passion for the land and the story was almost infectious as the actress/producer talked about her experiences. “I had the good fortune a number of times to travel to Israel and the Holy Land. And Masada is breathtaking. Literally it has a vista 360 that is just so incredibly beautiful. The power of the story is just so profoundly moving, I think.”
When asked about casting Cote de Pablo, Downey explained, “She’s so incredibly beautiful. We needed a mystery and depth for this character, and Cote provides both. The character of Shirah is, on the page, a complex character, a character who’s so passionate.” While the story is set against the framework of the brutality of the time, Downey said, “At its heart, The Dovekeepers is a love story. It’s a love story set against this historical backdrop, so it’s a love story in the face of tragedy. But the love‑story element of it is so beautiful, and Cote breathes such a heartbeat into the essence of this. We were thrilled to get her.” Downey added that it was well thought out to air the first night of the film right after Cote’s former series NCIS, knowing full well that de Pablo has a loyal fan base that would stay tuned for her new role in this movie event.
Cote de Pablo told the media, “I think in the end, Dovekeepers really is a story about love and hope, and I think we can all relate to that.” And Rachel Brosnahan added, “And I think that’s what makes it so relatable to what’s going on today, is these are individual stories of people trying to find themselves and find strength and hope and courage in the face of great oppression, and how they individually deal with this is the most beautiful part.”
It’s not necessary to have read the book to enjoy the film, nor is it important to be familiar with the history of Masada. While the gist of the historical story is included in the film, the characters’ stories are basically fictional. The Dovekeepers airs March 31 and April 1 on CBS.
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.
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