After dealing with Rembrandt's biography in the first film from his cycle Dutch Masters (Nightwatching, 2007), this time he focuses on an episode from the life of Dutch painter, illustrator and one of the most acclaimed engravers from the turn of the 16th to the 17th century, Hendrik Goltzius.
Goltzius and the Pelican Company is co-produced by the Dutch production company Kasander Film, MP filmska produkcija from Zagreb, CDP from France and F&ME from the UK. The film was co-funded by HAVC (www.havc.hr) with funds allocated after the public tender in the co-production category with minority Croatian share, and Netherlands Film Fund, Centre National du Cinema (CNC), Bankside distributor from Great Britain and Eurimages fund.
The story takes place in 1590, when Goltzius was at the Rhine castle of negotiated the rich Alsatian nobleman Margrave to ask for funds for a printing press. Goltzius wished to print eroticised versions of illustrated Old Testament tales of Adam and Eve, Lot and his daughters, David and Bathsheba, Portiphar's wife, Samson and Delilah, and the New Testament tale of John the Baptist and Salome. The nobleman's castle, enthralled with Goltzius' seductive tales, drenched in the motifs of incest, adultery, and rape, slowly sinks in the trap of aroused lust, and consequentially into conflict with religious circles.
The role of Goltzius is played by Dutch actor and poet (the current Dutch Poet Laureate 2009-2012) Ramsey Nasr, and the film also stars American actor F. Murray Abraham (Amadeus, All the President's Men, Scarface), French actress Kate Moran, Italian actor Pipo Delbono, and Croatian actors and actresses Nada Abrus, Katja Zubčić, Goran Grgić, Enes Vejzović, Duško Valentić, Milan Pleština, Tvrtko Jurić, Vedran Živolić, Samir Vujčić and Goran Bogdan. The creative part of the crew includes around 60 Croatian filmmakers.
Source: HVAC
