Malta "ideal" for BBC shoot of 'Daniel Deronda' serial

The area around Naxxar church was closed to traffic and unusually silent for a few days last week for the filming of the BBC three-part TV serial 'Daniel Deronda' at Palazzo Parisio, which was doubling as a Genoese hotel.

Its producer, Louis Marks ('Middlemarch' and 'Silas Marner'), said the cooperation was "remarkable" and authorities "over-accommodating".

Cordoning off an area in a town centre would be "utterly impossible" somewhere else, he said, adding that scenes of London's East End had to be shot in a cul-de-sac in Edinburgh.

Other locations for the brief shoot in Malta included Bighi; the Vittoriosa waterfront, which doubled as the port of Genoa, where the climax of the story is set; and out at sea, with Grand Harbour as the backdrop.

The first place the BBC considered was, indeed, Genoa, but it was too industrialised and modernised. Trieste was also considered, and "suddenly, Malta came out of the air", proving to be ideal.

It was chosen only three to four weeks prior to filming, Marks said, and resembles what Genoa might have looked like in the early 1860s, the period in which the serial is set.

'Daniel Deronda', which should be aired in late November, is based on George Eliot's 1876 novel - one of literature's most emotionally intense masterpieces - and has been adapted for the screen by award-winning writer Andrew Davies.

"On our first recce, we thought we would just about be able to shoot here, with various provisions. But, we were spoilt for choice and it all looked so wonderful."

The ideal period yacht, on which the main character, Daniel Deronda, played by Hugh Dancy ('Black Hawk Down') appears, was also found.

It was important that the location would be convincing, rich in colour, quality and texture - and the sand-coloured stone and the sunshine contributed to the creation of the right effect, Marks maintained.

Filming is half-way through and on schedule, with the BBC returning to Malta for another three days in mid-August to shoot at the Rinella water tanks.

The quality of the film required a range of sets, from aristocratic manor houses at one end of the scale to poverty-stricken streets in London's East End - meaning a complicated schedule, Marks said.

'Daniel Deronda' tells the story of a young man in search of his true nature and his role in life, according to the producer. It is a passionate, intense, love story, which takes both hero and heroine on a journey of eventual self-fulfillment.

Barbara Hershey ('Hannah and Her Sisters') plays a leading role, "but I cannot give the game away... If I tell you who she is, it would spoil the story," Marks said.

Jodhi May, who plays the part of Mirah Lapidoth, Romola Garai, starring as Gwendolen Harleth, and Barbara Hershey represent different aspects of Daniel's life and help him find his identity and solve the mystery of his background.

Deronda is torn between his feelings for the vivacious Gwendolen and a young Jewish woman, Mirah. Gwendolen is forced into an oppressive marriage with Henleigh Grandcourt, played by 'Iris' star Hugh Bonneville, and who wants to shape her into his ideal, aristocratic wife.

"Daniel knows there is a mystery as to who he is... The various paths collide and they all lead to Malta/Genoa, where the climax of the film unfolds," said Marks.

The project has been in the pipeline since 1994 - six years for a short-lived TV serial! But, it is, nonetheless, satisfying for Marks: the way to look at it is that a minimum of six million viewers - maybe more - would be seeing it, whereas attracting a mere one million viewers to the cinema would be considered "fantastic".

The idea to produce 'Daniel Deronda' came after the BBC's acclaimed version of 'Middlemarch' in the early 90s and is reuniting Marks with Davies. The BBC drama is being directed by Tom Hooper ('Love in a Cold Climate').

"Daniel Deronda was a completely new novel for Eliot, who went off on a totally different tack, almost writing for the 20th century," Marks said.

"The issues in this original piece of work are so far-sighted. It is very passionate and revolves around emotions and themes such as identity - a modern idea that people can connect to... It has all the ingredients to appeal to a modern audience."

Asking Marks what his future plans are, when taking into account that his latest project has been materialising for six years, may seem ridiculous.

However, apart from being rather intent on a long holiday, his stay in Malta could have inspired him to wipe the dust off an idea he had shelved in the 60s.

Plans for the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Sta Marija Convoy have jogged his memory and reminded him of a project he had attempted when in his 20s and still "new to the business". Marks had researched the Malta Convoy and written a script, but it had never materialised.

"I was a young writer, with no experience at all; the producer had dropped the project and I never discovered what he had really wanted.

"It was a fantastic story and I was very excited."

Now, he is considering picking up the book and possibly looking into the project again. Admitting that he had never discussed it before, he agreed that visiting Malta during the commemoration and speaking to the veterans, who are attending the event, would not be such a bad idea!