Alice Hoffman Interview
Costume Designer Interview
Q&A with Alice Hoffman
AUTHOR ALICE HOFFMAN DISCUSSES HER BESTSELLING BOOK "THE DOVEKEEPERS" AND THE STORY BEHIND ITS ADAPTATION TO FILM AS A CBS LIMITED EVENT SERIES
Alice Hoffman’s critically acclaimed historical novel The Dovekeepers has been embraced by a significant and devoted readership since it was first published in 2011 by Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. On Tuesday, March 31 and Wednesday, April 1 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT, each night) the film adaptation of Hoffman’s book will premiere as a limited event series on CBS, with Roma Downey and Mark Burnett as executive producers.
Alice Hoffman has written 30 works of fiction. In addition to her blockbuster bestseller The Dovekeepers, she’s also written Practical Magic, The Red Garden, Oprah’s Book Club Selection Here on Earth and The Museum of Extraordinary Things. Her first novel for middle-grade readers, Nightbird, is out this month (March 2015), and her new novel, The Marriage of Opposites, will be published in August 2015.
In an interview in early March 2015, Hoffman, a consulting producer on THE DOVEKEEPERS, discussed her motivation for writing the novel, what the book means to her, and how it ended up being made into a CBS limited event series.
Q: What gave you the idea to write The Dovekeepers?
HOFFMAN: The Dovekeepers really came to me by surprise. My son is an archeologist, and he had been working in the Middle East. I decided that because of him I should find out more about archeological sites. So, I decided I wanted to go see Masada, and that's really how the book began for me.
Masada is now in ruins but beautiful ruins. I happened to go when it was 110 degrees in August; I went with my sister and brother-in-law. When we got there, we were the only people there, which was kind of a miracle for me because I felt I could hear the voices of the people of the past who had lived there.
When I was walking around Masada I really felt that I wanted to give a voice to women in the ancient times who never got to tell their stories… I felt I could almost hear their voices and I wanted to let their story be told.
Q: What is the story of Masada?
HOFFMAN: The story begins in Jerusalem in 70 C.E. when the Romans took over the city and took over the temple and everyone had to flee. Some of those people fled to an ancient fortress in the desert called Masada. My characters come from different places, but they all find themselves in the same place at Masada working together.
Q: Describe how you became familiar with the history of Masada.
HOFFMAN: I really didn’t know anything about the history of the Jews or the history of Israel or about Rome or the Roman forces. When I got to the museum at Masada and I saw the artifacts of the people who had been there, the women who had been there, it changed things for me. I mean, to see people’s shoes, to see their makeup, to see their jewelry – to see that real people lived in this place, it was really inspiring to me. Also, I saw a little sign that said there had been survivors. I had always heard stories of Masada – that it was a mass suicide and that there were no survivors. So, when I came home I read writings by the historian Josephus. He’s really the only historian who told the story of Masada, and he said that there were survivors -- that two women and five children had survived by hiding in the water system. That’s how the story [of the Siege of Masada] came to be known, and that for me was the beginning of the novel. If there had not been survivors I could have not written the novel.
Q: In addition to reading the accounts by Josephus, how did you research the story?
HOFFMAN: I researched the story by reading Josephus and reading about nomadic people of the ancient times and also of that particular time. I did a lot of archaeological research and a lot of what happens in the book, especially the magical aspect of it, was taken from charms and amulets that were in museums in Israel and in Europe. I did a lot of archaeological research personally – again my son is an archaeologist – and I felt like it’s an interesting way to tell the story. You start with an object and then you imagine whose object it is.
Q: Explain the title and the title characters.
HOFFMAN: At Masada, there are ancient dovecotes. Doves were used for many purposes in the ancient world. So, these women are dovekeepers. They work in the dovecotes, they work with the doves but they are also the keepers of peace. I think that all of these characters, all of these women, want peace.
Q: What is the journey of the story?
HOFFMAN: I think the journey of the story is really about forgiveness and love and that the most important thing is the people who are close to you and the survival of your children and the survival of your story. The Dovekeepers is really about storytelling and how people live on if there history lives on. If you destroy the history, you destroy the people as well.
Q: When the book was published, how was it received?
HOFFMAN: It was really interesting, because I came to the book not as a historian but as a novelist. I discovered these other worlds through writing the book, and I was really very moved by the reaction and the response to the book. People felt that they were hearing a story they never heard before and that it was very important to hear of the other 50% of the world’s side of war. Women and children are very affected by war, and The Dovekeepers is that story.
Q: Who read the book? What kind of feedback did you get from your readers?
HOFFMAN: I have mothers and daughters who read the book, and I have men who like historical novels who read my book… I think it expanded my readership because people came to it wanting to know about these women. People who had never read me before read The Dovekeepers and found a story that they wanted to hear.
Q: What reactions surprised you the most?
HOFFMAN: I think the reaction that surprised me the most was really my own, because when I went to Masada I didn’t expect to be so emotionally affected. I felt like I was in a really spiritual place. I had kind of, I wouldn’t say a conversion, but I felt that I could hear the voices of the women who had preceded me and it was a very spiritual experience and that I didn’t expect.
Q: Did you ever think about the story in cinematic terms?
HOFFMAN: I thought about the story being told to me by the women who were my characters. It’s almost that I didn’t have to look for the story, they came in and told me the story. I feel like it’s a very big story, so it seemed like it could be filmed. It’s such a beautiful place with such amazing people and colors and such amazing spirit, but I really felt like somebody was whispering a story to me.
Q: Were you surprised when Roma Downey contacted you?
HOFFMAN: The funny thing is I had been a fan of Roma’s, and I was surprised when she contacted me. But, what I was the most surprised about was that she completely got the story almost as if she had written it. I think her interest in women in the ancient world is what really drew us together; the fact that these stories had not been told before and had not been written down. That was really moving to me and I think really connected us.
Q: What convinced you that Downey’s project would do the book justice?
HOFFMAN: One of the things that Roma felt was that it’s a story of several women, but all are threads of the same story. That the story had to do with survival and peace and the telling of people’s history – and that for me is what The Dovekeepers was as a novel and I felt that’s what it would be for her as a series.
Q: Have you seen the limited series?
HOFFMAN: I have seen it. I have to say, I cried during a lot of it. It was very emotional to see these women brought to life. The actresses who become my characters [Cote de Pablo, Rachel Brosnahan and Kathryn Prescott] were the most wonderful part of seeing it. They do an incredible job. I feel like they bring such spirit, such raw emotion to the parts. That, for me, was the most important part.
With the production values, you really feel like you’re there. I think it’s incredible what they did. You feel that you are at the spot where it happened, and the colors, the life, the background all make it feel so real.
Q: Talk about the differences between the book and the limited series.
HOFFMAN: A novel and a film can never be the same thing, because it’s just a different time frame. You can’t tell everything that’s in a large novel in a film. Some things get lost and some things get added. It’s the same and yet different. For me, Josephus telling the story [in the television project, not the book] is interesting, because I realized that the book was all about storytelling. I didn’t really understand that until I saw the part with Josephus in it. I realized that if these people don’t get to tell their story, then the story dies and the people they loved disappear. I’ve always thought that storytelling was very important. While that’s what I do, I realize more than ever that, in terms of history, in terms of archaeology, how important it is to a people not to be erased. The one way to do it is to be able to tell your story.
Q: Is there anything timely about the story?
HOFFMAN: I feel that the story of the women in The Dovekeepers is happening right now -- all over the world. It’s a specific story about what happens at Masada to these women, but I also think it’s a timeless story about what happens to women and children and more during war. I feel like now more than ever it’s really important to think about and talk about peace.
AUTHOR ALICE HOFFMAN DISCUSSES HER BESTSELLING BOOK "THE DOVEKEEPERS" AND THE STORY BEHIND ITS ADAPTATION TO FILM AS A CBS LIMITED EVENT SERIES
Alice Hoffman’s critically acclaimed historical novel The Dovekeepers has been embraced by a significant and devoted readership since it was first published in 2011 by Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. On Tuesday, March 31 and Wednesday, April 1 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT, each night) the film adaptation of Hoffman’s book will premiere as a limited event series on CBS, with Roma Downey and Mark Burnett as executive producers.
Alice Hoffman has written 30 works of fiction. In addition to her blockbuster bestseller The Dovekeepers, she’s also written Practical Magic, The Red Garden, Oprah’s Book Club Selection Here on Earth and The Museum of Extraordinary Things. Her first novel for middle-grade readers, Nightbird, is out this month (March 2015), and her new novel, The Marriage of Opposites, will be published in August 2015.
In an interview in early March 2015, Hoffman, a consulting producer on THE DOVEKEEPERS, discussed her motivation for writing the novel, what the book means to her, and how it ended up being made into a CBS limited event series.
Q: What gave you the idea to write The Dovekeepers?
HOFFMAN: The Dovekeepers really came to me by surprise. My son is an archeologist, and he had been working in the Middle East. I decided that because of him I should find out more about archeological sites. So, I decided I wanted to go see Masada, and that's really how the book began for me.
Masada is now in ruins but beautiful ruins. I happened to go when it was 110 degrees in August; I went with my sister and brother-in-law. When we got there, we were the only people there, which was kind of a miracle for me because I felt I could hear the voices of the people of the past who had lived there.
When I was walking around Masada I really felt that I wanted to give a voice to women in the ancient times who never got to tell their stories… I felt I could almost hear their voices and I wanted to let their story be told.
Q: What is the story of Masada?
HOFFMAN: The story begins in Jerusalem in 70 C.E. when the Romans took over the city and took over the temple and everyone had to flee. Some of those people fled to an ancient fortress in the desert called Masada. My characters come from different places, but they all find themselves in the same place at Masada working together.
Q: Describe how you became familiar with the history of Masada.
HOFFMAN: I really didn’t know anything about the history of the Jews or the history of Israel or about Rome or the Roman forces. When I got to the museum at Masada and I saw the artifacts of the people who had been there, the women who had been there, it changed things for me. I mean, to see people’s shoes, to see their makeup, to see their jewelry – to see that real people lived in this place, it was really inspiring to me. Also, I saw a little sign that said there had been survivors. I had always heard stories of Masada – that it was a mass suicide and that there were no survivors. So, when I came home I read writings by the historian Josephus. He’s really the only historian who told the story of Masada, and he said that there were survivors -- that two women and five children had survived by hiding in the water system. That’s how the story [of the Siege of Masada] came to be known, and that for me was the beginning of the novel. If there had not been survivors I could have not written the novel.
Q: In addition to reading the accounts by Josephus, how did you research the story?
HOFFMAN: I researched the story by reading Josephus and reading about nomadic people of the ancient times and also of that particular time. I did a lot of archaeological research and a lot of what happens in the book, especially the magical aspect of it, was taken from charms and amulets that were in museums in Israel and in Europe. I did a lot of archaeological research personally – again my son is an archaeologist – and I felt like it’s an interesting way to tell the story. You start with an object and then you imagine whose object it is.
Q: Explain the title and the title characters.
HOFFMAN: At Masada, there are ancient dovecotes. Doves were used for many purposes in the ancient world. So, these women are dovekeepers. They work in the dovecotes, they work with the doves but they are also the keepers of peace. I think that all of these characters, all of these women, want peace.
Q: What is the journey of the story?
HOFFMAN: I think the journey of the story is really about forgiveness and love and that the most important thing is the people who are close to you and the survival of your children and the survival of your story. The Dovekeepers is really about storytelling and how people live on if there history lives on. If you destroy the history, you destroy the people as well.
Q: When the book was published, how was it received?
HOFFMAN: It was really interesting, because I came to the book not as a historian but as a novelist. I discovered these other worlds through writing the book, and I was really very moved by the reaction and the response to the book. People felt that they were hearing a story they never heard before and that it was very important to hear of the other 50% of the world’s side of war. Women and children are very affected by war, and The Dovekeepers is that story.
Q: Who read the book? What kind of feedback did you get from your readers?
HOFFMAN: I have mothers and daughters who read the book, and I have men who like historical novels who read my book… I think it expanded my readership because people came to it wanting to know about these women. People who had never read me before read The Dovekeepers and found a story that they wanted to hear.
Q: What reactions surprised you the most?
HOFFMAN: I think the reaction that surprised me the most was really my own, because when I went to Masada I didn’t expect to be so emotionally affected. I felt like I was in a really spiritual place. I had kind of, I wouldn’t say a conversion, but I felt that I could hear the voices of the women who had preceded me and it was a very spiritual experience and that I didn’t expect.
Q: Did you ever think about the story in cinematic terms?
HOFFMAN: I thought about the story being told to me by the women who were my characters. It’s almost that I didn’t have to look for the story, they came in and told me the story. I feel like it’s a very big story, so it seemed like it could be filmed. It’s such a beautiful place with such amazing people and colors and such amazing spirit, but I really felt like somebody was whispering a story to me.
Q: Were you surprised when Roma Downey contacted you?
HOFFMAN: The funny thing is I had been a fan of Roma’s, and I was surprised when she contacted me. But, what I was the most surprised about was that she completely got the story almost as if she had written it. I think her interest in women in the ancient world is what really drew us together; the fact that these stories had not been told before and had not been written down. That was really moving to me and I think really connected us.
Q: What convinced you that Downey’s project would do the book justice?
HOFFMAN: One of the things that Roma felt was that it’s a story of several women, but all are threads of the same story. That the story had to do with survival and peace and the telling of people’s history – and that for me is what The Dovekeepers was as a novel and I felt that’s what it would be for her as a series.
Q: Have you seen the limited series?
HOFFMAN: I have seen it. I have to say, I cried during a lot of it. It was very emotional to see these women brought to life. The actresses who become my characters [Cote de Pablo, Rachel Brosnahan and Kathryn Prescott] were the most wonderful part of seeing it. They do an incredible job. I feel like they bring such spirit, such raw emotion to the parts. That, for me, was the most important part.
With the production values, you really feel like you’re there. I think it’s incredible what they did. You feel that you are at the spot where it happened, and the colors, the life, the background all make it feel so real.
Q: Talk about the differences between the book and the limited series.
HOFFMAN: A novel and a film can never be the same thing, because it’s just a different time frame. You can’t tell everything that’s in a large novel in a film. Some things get lost and some things get added. It’s the same and yet different. For me, Josephus telling the story [in the television project, not the book] is interesting, because I realized that the book was all about storytelling. I didn’t really understand that until I saw the part with Josephus in it. I realized that if these people don’t get to tell their story, then the story dies and the people they loved disappear. I’ve always thought that storytelling was very important. While that’s what I do, I realize more than ever that, in terms of history, in terms of archaeology, how important it is to a people not to be erased. The one way to do it is to be able to tell your story.
Q: Is there anything timely about the story?
HOFFMAN: I feel that the story of the women in The Dovekeepers is happening right now -- all over the world. It’s a specific story about what happens at Masada to these women, but I also think it’s a timeless story about what happens to women and children and more during war. I feel like now more than ever it’s really important to think about and talk about peace.
Source:
How it Was Created
HOW THE CREATORS OF THE CBS LIMITED EVENT SERIES “THE DOVEKEEPERS” DEVISED THE LOOK AND FEEL OF THE FIRST-CENTURY SIEGE OF MASADA
Executive Producers Roma Downey & Mark Burnett, Director/Executive Producer
Yves Simoneau, Production Designer Giles Masters And Costume Designer Delphine White Discuss the Goals, Research, Challenges and Joys Involved in Bringing
Alice Hoffman’s Bestselling Historical Novel to Life on Film
On location in Malta in the fall of 2014, Executive Producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett were brimming with delight at the period wardrobe, sets and props surrounding them during the filming of their two-night limited event series THE DOVEKEEPERS for CBS. Scheduled to be broadcast on Tuesday, March 31 and Wednesday, April 1,THE DOVEKEEPERS is based on Alice Hoffman’s bestselling historical novel about the Siege of Masada in first century Israel.
"THE DOVEKEEPERS is such a beautiful book of this rich culture and history in first-century Israel,” said Downey. “It’s so exciting seeing all the details that have come together for our epic production – the sets, the décor, the armor, the jewelry and all of the textures and colors of the fabric. Our job here is to build a universe of this time and this place in 70 C.E., and all of these many, many parts added together create this world."
"The research that’s been done on THE DOVEKEEPERS is amazing," added Burnett. "I think it’s important to be authentic, because you’re creating a piece of art which lasts for decades and will be seen by scores of people."
"We have the best gathered here to create this ambiance and to bring this world alive," said Downey. "They’re from all over the world; it’s exciting. We have local [Maltese] crew members, crew in from Italy, Bulgaria, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Canada, the U.S. and more… It’s so nice to see this group of artistic people coming together to bring this book to the screen."
Visiting the Real Masada Among the Research Efforts Prior to Creating the Sets and Props
Leading the team with regard to the look and feel of the sets and props were Director/Executive Producer Yves Simoneau and Production Designer Giles Masters. Along with Executive Producer Frank Siracusa, they commenced their research by traveling together to Israel and driving along the Dead Sea en route to Masada, which Masters hadn’t visited in about 20 years. Downey and Burnett visited Masada on several occasions prior to the genesis of this project.
"There’s nothing quite like going to the real place when you’re doing a historical piece," said Masters. "You get an actual sense and feel of it and an idea of what you need to try to achieve when faced with the challenge of recreating a place and the geography that place brings. Just standing on top of that mountain and understanding the layout of it, reliving the history of it, taking a guided tour and going through the museum to look at all of the archaeological finds was all very exciting and incredibly useful. It’s astounding that 2,000 years ago – 120 years before the Siege of Masada – Herod was able to build this extraordinary fortress on a mountaintop that he used as a winter palace. It was luxurious. How many people did it take to do that? How did they get the marble up on the mountain top? It’s mind-boggling."
For overall research, Masters also referred to the writings of first-century historian Josephus (portrayed in the project by Sam Neill), who documented that period in history, including the Siege of Masada. The years of extensive research by Alice Hoffman, and the resulting details in her book, was another bonus, according to Masters.
Recreating Masada at a Centuries-Old Fortress in Malta
After journeying to Masada, the production opted to recreate the mountaintop fortress in Malta, and the majority of filming took place at Fort Ricasoli, a fortification built by the Order of Saint John in the late 1600s. The fort, which is across the Grand Harbour from Malta’s picturesque capital city of Valletta, was later occupied and improved by the French and then by the British, from the early 1800s through the mid-1900s, who refortified it as well.
Per Masters, "Fort Ricasoli was extraordinary for us. Masada is a fortified mountain top, so coming to a fort was a very good move because the bones of the structure we needed were there. Despite all the information about Masada, there are no surveys and photographs of how it was, so we were able to take a little license and make it work. But among the things we do know is that they lived within the double thickness of the walls of the fort. So the size of the rooms we created are similar to the size of the real rooms."
Added Simoneau "Fort Ricasoli already had history embedded in its stone walls. That place, too, had gone through wars. Every day, as we were exploring the site, we discovered hidden rooms, hidden corridors and such – it was like walking through a maze in parts."
While in Israel, Simoneau also filmed some aerial shots of Masada and the surrounding area to use as establishing shots in the production. Then, Masters and his team created 3D computer models of how the structures of Masada are laid out in the production, and superimposed them onto the real Masada. The challenge was making it all line up. For instance, the snake gate wall on set in Malta needed to be situated in the right place for the real Masada, given that the snake path that led to the gate still exists and is visible from an aerial view.
Using Set Dressing, Props and Color to Convey the History and Struggles of the Times
It was important to Simoneau and Masters that everything they designed have a history to it – from the personal spaces, to the weapons, to what the extras would be seen carrying in the distance. Explained Masters, "They were refugees who fled from their homes, so when they arrived at Masada they didn’t have very much. Plus, they had to climb the snake path, so they couldn’t use carts. They pretty much brought what they could carry and perhaps a small donkey. We took those factors into account when dressing these people’s living spaces at Masada. We also considered what these people did in their daily lives to simply survive. So, for example, at times the extras are seen in the background using donkeys to carry jugs of water back from the huge cisterns that existed. We did as much as we could to make the portrayal of their lifestyles accurate to support the characters and the period."
Additionally, the contrast between the Masada set and the Jerusalem set, which is seen at the start of THE DOVEKEEPERS and was also built at Fort Ricasoli, visually demonstrates what the people lost when they were driven out of their homes by the Romans. "Jerusalem had wealth, trade and color," said Masters. "Color is wealth. Our market street set in Jerusalem gave us a great opportunity to really get into some color. So we show one way of life, a good way of life, and then show another way of life, which is a simpler, not as colorful way of life."
The Creation and Role of the Dovecote
An important part of life at Masada was looking after the doves, as is done by the title characters (played by Cote de Pablo, Rachel Brosnahan and Kathryn Prescott). Housed in dovecotes, the doves’ droppings were used as fertilizer to help yield better harvests. "We did a colossal amount of research on the doves and dovecotes, including measuring the remaining foundations of the real dovecotes in Masada," said Masters. "I made sure I had all the dimensions and I collected information on what kind of stone they used and how the stone masons put them together. We don’t know how they were finished on the outside and we built ours a little larger than the interiors of the real ones, but it’s very much in keeping with the way the dovecotes were built."
The Sicarii and Weapons Used by the Jewish Warriors and Roman Soldiers
Representing warriors’ barracks and weapons was another essential element in highlighting the way of life at Masada. The Sicarii, the Zealots determined to fight the Romans to the death, are represented in THE DOVEKEEPERS by lead characters, including Amram (played by Diego Boneta) and the historically documented Jewish commander of the fortress, Eleazer Ben Ya’ir (played by Mido Hamada). The Sicarii were named after the sica, a curved dagger they carried. Masters oversaw the creation of the Sicarii’s daggers, as well as an array of different types of weapons for the Jewish warriors. Per Masters, "Archaeologists recovered many original arrowheads at Masada, and we used their design in the creation of our arrows. The knives, swords and shields were all based on our research. They were not like regimented troops that all have the same uniform or weapons. These were freedom fighters of different ages, and they collected what they could to fight." For the Roman soldiers, the weapons were more uniform in their design, both historically and for this project. Among them were swords in the Mainz-Fulham Gladius style, shields and javelins, and bows and arrows for the Roman archers. Added Masters, "The weapons used by the 10th Legion at the Siege of Masada are well-documented, and the Masada museum has accurate reconstructions and remains of several original Roman pieces."
The Research and Efforts Involved in Designing and Sourcing Hundreds of Period Costumes
Costume design is another key element in creating the first-century world in THE DOVEKEEPERS. Costume Designer Delphine White worked closely with Simoneau as she fashioned wardrobe for the lead actors and hundreds of extras. In addition to dressing those playing average people in Jerusalem and Masada, White had to craft and oversee costumes for the Jewish warriors, Roman soldiers, dovekeepers and more.
White started her research by reading the book and script, and then contacted the Jewish Museum in New York City. The museum referred her to Yeshiva University, also in Manhattan, which helped White with some of her questions about protocol and other factors referenced in the script. They also recommend the book The Ancient Jewish Shroud At Turin by John N. Lupia, which shows the historical development of the prayer shawl, or tallit, including when its design began to change during the second half of the first-century C.E. White, who is Canadian and is based in Toronto, also conducted research in the archives at Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum, which had writings on how clothing was constructed at that time; she perused the digital collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan and she sourced a number of books on Jewish dress at that time, as well as books about Roman uniforms.
Despite what she was able to discover, White found the information about wardrobe and accessories from that time and region to be limited. "There’s very little physically left to access, and it was against Jewish law for certain elements of society to have sketches or images of themselves. We used artistic license on the production of many things." However, she did have the benefit of some archeological finds. Masters brought back many photographs of jewelry from his visit to the museum at Masada, and she was able to locate online photos of a lot of pieces of textile, sandals, and more.
In addition, a historian in Toronto introduced White to writings by Josephus. "Josephus had written about the Sicarii, and what was interesting to me was that the capes were not really capes but just a piece of fabric that they draped over their shoulders. Though, we did slightly modify that look by putting hoods on them to achieve a certain motion with them that [Simoneau] wanted," said White. "Josephus was from a priestly family, and he gave particularly useful detailed descriptions of the fabrics and gemstones that were in a high priest’s chest plate and crown as well as certain fabrics that they loved to wear. It really gave me insight into the fact that there were a lot more exotic fabrics around than one might have expected. They hadn’t connected with the East yet, so silks were not yet part of their wardrobe, but linens and woolens were. Another interesting finding was that wearing linen and wool together was against Jewish law." White was also pleased to find some written materials referencing Josephus and how and why he would have dressed the way he did.
Using Sewing and Dress Making Techniques of the Day
To construct the fabric costumes, White researched dyes and employed a lot of sewing techniques of the day. "We used a lot of hand-stitching along the side – little embroidery chain stitches – and we left all seams on the outside so we’d get the feel of the period and the fact that fabric would fray and look worn. Looms were much narrower then so we tried to keep it that the clothing would have seams right where the width of the loom would have been. Even a simple dress took about 10 hours to construct. We started by making the costume out of off-white textured fabric, then did dye samples to determine the best color to use, and lastly, the piece went into the whole dye process."
Utilizing Color in the Costumes to Help Convey the Story
To provide a different tone and feel for the characters in Jerusalem versus Masada, Simoneau and White decided to mirror the choices for the set design by choosing various vivid colors for the costumes in the Jerusalem scenes and very washed-out versions of the same colors for when the characters are at Masada.
"We were very meticulous in defining the color schemes of the costumes," said Simoneau. "Delphine even photographed parts of the walls of Fort Ricasoli when she noticed an interesting color in the stone. All the clothing was dyed based on these colors, so that the fresco I wanted to create was completely organic."
The Roman Armor of the 10th Legion and the Artistry Involved in the Assorted Metal Work
For the armor for the Roman soldiers of the 10th Legion, who were led by Roman General Flavius Silva (played by Sam Hazeldine), White came to Malta with a suitcase full of books containing very detailed information on Rome and the 10th Legion at the time. In addition, her Italian costume supervisor, Augusto Grassi, "made a tremendous contribution" in helping with the design. He was able to help her source most of the metal and leather lorica segmentata, armor worn by Roman soldiers, from costume houses in Rome and Bulgaria, with the rest coming from Malta and India. However, for Silva and Claudius (played by Kenneth Spiteri), Silva’s second-in-command on the project, White and Grassi had the armor sculpted in Bulgaria. White said that while the leather lorica segmentata came 100 years later, she and Simoneau liked how it looked in their desert scenes.
"One of our particularly impressive costumes was made for Silva. A lot of research went into it, and our metal worker, Luca Giampoli, who did all of the metal work on this project, pounded it out by hand, including the detailing of the head of Medusa, which adorned the real Silva’s armor." Silva’s helmet, which also featured a depiction of Medusa, and his metal armbands were made by hand at the workshop as well. "The helmet took about a week to make." Giampoli started with a piece of metal, pounding out the helmet and making sure the edges weren’t sharp. He designed the Medusa on his computer, transferred it onto a different piece of metal and then pounded out the image by hand until it was a three dimensional pattern. After the Medusa was riveted to the face of the helmet, the helmet was lined with the proper leather. Lastly, feathers were dyed red and affixed to the top. The sandals were made in Malta, and all of the jewelry in this production was also handmade by Giampoli at the production workshop. "We have real artisans on this project, so I’m probably proudest of the craftsmanship," said White.
HOW THE CREATORS OF THE CBS LIMITED EVENT SERIES “THE DOVEKEEPERS” DEVISED THE LOOK AND FEEL OF THE FIRST-CENTURY SIEGE OF MASADA
Executive Producers Roma Downey & Mark Burnett, Director/Executive Producer
Yves Simoneau, Production Designer Giles Masters And Costume Designer Delphine White Discuss the Goals, Research, Challenges and Joys Involved in Bringing
Alice Hoffman’s Bestselling Historical Novel to Life on Film
On location in Malta in the fall of 2014, Executive Producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett were brimming with delight at the period wardrobe, sets and props surrounding them during the filming of their two-night limited event series THE DOVEKEEPERS for CBS. Scheduled to be broadcast on Tuesday, March 31 and Wednesday, April 1,THE DOVEKEEPERS is based on Alice Hoffman’s bestselling historical novel about the Siege of Masada in first century Israel.
"THE DOVEKEEPERS is such a beautiful book of this rich culture and history in first-century Israel,” said Downey. “It’s so exciting seeing all the details that have come together for our epic production – the sets, the décor, the armor, the jewelry and all of the textures and colors of the fabric. Our job here is to build a universe of this time and this place in 70 C.E., and all of these many, many parts added together create this world."
"The research that’s been done on THE DOVEKEEPERS is amazing," added Burnett. "I think it’s important to be authentic, because you’re creating a piece of art which lasts for decades and will be seen by scores of people."
"We have the best gathered here to create this ambiance and to bring this world alive," said Downey. "They’re from all over the world; it’s exciting. We have local [Maltese] crew members, crew in from Italy, Bulgaria, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Canada, the U.S. and more… It’s so nice to see this group of artistic people coming together to bring this book to the screen."
Visiting the Real Masada Among the Research Efforts Prior to Creating the Sets and Props
Leading the team with regard to the look and feel of the sets and props were Director/Executive Producer Yves Simoneau and Production Designer Giles Masters. Along with Executive Producer Frank Siracusa, they commenced their research by traveling together to Israel and driving along the Dead Sea en route to Masada, which Masters hadn’t visited in about 20 years. Downey and Burnett visited Masada on several occasions prior to the genesis of this project.
"There’s nothing quite like going to the real place when you’re doing a historical piece," said Masters. "You get an actual sense and feel of it and an idea of what you need to try to achieve when faced with the challenge of recreating a place and the geography that place brings. Just standing on top of that mountain and understanding the layout of it, reliving the history of it, taking a guided tour and going through the museum to look at all of the archaeological finds was all very exciting and incredibly useful. It’s astounding that 2,000 years ago – 120 years before the Siege of Masada – Herod was able to build this extraordinary fortress on a mountaintop that he used as a winter palace. It was luxurious. How many people did it take to do that? How did they get the marble up on the mountain top? It’s mind-boggling."
For overall research, Masters also referred to the writings of first-century historian Josephus (portrayed in the project by Sam Neill), who documented that period in history, including the Siege of Masada. The years of extensive research by Alice Hoffman, and the resulting details in her book, was another bonus, according to Masters.
Recreating Masada at a Centuries-Old Fortress in Malta
After journeying to Masada, the production opted to recreate the mountaintop fortress in Malta, and the majority of filming took place at Fort Ricasoli, a fortification built by the Order of Saint John in the late 1600s. The fort, which is across the Grand Harbour from Malta’s picturesque capital city of Valletta, was later occupied and improved by the French and then by the British, from the early 1800s through the mid-1900s, who refortified it as well.
Per Masters, "Fort Ricasoli was extraordinary for us. Masada is a fortified mountain top, so coming to a fort was a very good move because the bones of the structure we needed were there. Despite all the information about Masada, there are no surveys and photographs of how it was, so we were able to take a little license and make it work. But among the things we do know is that they lived within the double thickness of the walls of the fort. So the size of the rooms we created are similar to the size of the real rooms."
Added Simoneau "Fort Ricasoli already had history embedded in its stone walls. That place, too, had gone through wars. Every day, as we were exploring the site, we discovered hidden rooms, hidden corridors and such – it was like walking through a maze in parts."
While in Israel, Simoneau also filmed some aerial shots of Masada and the surrounding area to use as establishing shots in the production. Then, Masters and his team created 3D computer models of how the structures of Masada are laid out in the production, and superimposed them onto the real Masada. The challenge was making it all line up. For instance, the snake gate wall on set in Malta needed to be situated in the right place for the real Masada, given that the snake path that led to the gate still exists and is visible from an aerial view.
Using Set Dressing, Props and Color to Convey the History and Struggles of the Times
It was important to Simoneau and Masters that everything they designed have a history to it – from the personal spaces, to the weapons, to what the extras would be seen carrying in the distance. Explained Masters, "They were refugees who fled from their homes, so when they arrived at Masada they didn’t have very much. Plus, they had to climb the snake path, so they couldn’t use carts. They pretty much brought what they could carry and perhaps a small donkey. We took those factors into account when dressing these people’s living spaces at Masada. We also considered what these people did in their daily lives to simply survive. So, for example, at times the extras are seen in the background using donkeys to carry jugs of water back from the huge cisterns that existed. We did as much as we could to make the portrayal of their lifestyles accurate to support the characters and the period."
Additionally, the contrast between the Masada set and the Jerusalem set, which is seen at the start of THE DOVEKEEPERS and was also built at Fort Ricasoli, visually demonstrates what the people lost when they were driven out of their homes by the Romans. "Jerusalem had wealth, trade and color," said Masters. "Color is wealth. Our market street set in Jerusalem gave us a great opportunity to really get into some color. So we show one way of life, a good way of life, and then show another way of life, which is a simpler, not as colorful way of life."
The Creation and Role of the Dovecote
An important part of life at Masada was looking after the doves, as is done by the title characters (played by Cote de Pablo, Rachel Brosnahan and Kathryn Prescott). Housed in dovecotes, the doves’ droppings were used as fertilizer to help yield better harvests. "We did a colossal amount of research on the doves and dovecotes, including measuring the remaining foundations of the real dovecotes in Masada," said Masters. "I made sure I had all the dimensions and I collected information on what kind of stone they used and how the stone masons put them together. We don’t know how they were finished on the outside and we built ours a little larger than the interiors of the real ones, but it’s very much in keeping with the way the dovecotes were built."
The Sicarii and Weapons Used by the Jewish Warriors and Roman Soldiers
Representing warriors’ barracks and weapons was another essential element in highlighting the way of life at Masada. The Sicarii, the Zealots determined to fight the Romans to the death, are represented in THE DOVEKEEPERS by lead characters, including Amram (played by Diego Boneta) and the historically documented Jewish commander of the fortress, Eleazer Ben Ya’ir (played by Mido Hamada). The Sicarii were named after the sica, a curved dagger they carried. Masters oversaw the creation of the Sicarii’s daggers, as well as an array of different types of weapons for the Jewish warriors. Per Masters, "Archaeologists recovered many original arrowheads at Masada, and we used their design in the creation of our arrows. The knives, swords and shields were all based on our research. They were not like regimented troops that all have the same uniform or weapons. These were freedom fighters of different ages, and they collected what they could to fight." For the Roman soldiers, the weapons were more uniform in their design, both historically and for this project. Among them were swords in the Mainz-Fulham Gladius style, shields and javelins, and bows and arrows for the Roman archers. Added Masters, "The weapons used by the 10th Legion at the Siege of Masada are well-documented, and the Masada museum has accurate reconstructions and remains of several original Roman pieces."
The Research and Efforts Involved in Designing and Sourcing Hundreds of Period Costumes
Costume design is another key element in creating the first-century world in THE DOVEKEEPERS. Costume Designer Delphine White worked closely with Simoneau as she fashioned wardrobe for the lead actors and hundreds of extras. In addition to dressing those playing average people in Jerusalem and Masada, White had to craft and oversee costumes for the Jewish warriors, Roman soldiers, dovekeepers and more.
White started her research by reading the book and script, and then contacted the Jewish Museum in New York City. The museum referred her to Yeshiva University, also in Manhattan, which helped White with some of her questions about protocol and other factors referenced in the script. They also recommend the book The Ancient Jewish Shroud At Turin by John N. Lupia, which shows the historical development of the prayer shawl, or tallit, including when its design began to change during the second half of the first-century C.E. White, who is Canadian and is based in Toronto, also conducted research in the archives at Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum, which had writings on how clothing was constructed at that time; she perused the digital collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan and she sourced a number of books on Jewish dress at that time, as well as books about Roman uniforms.
Despite what she was able to discover, White found the information about wardrobe and accessories from that time and region to be limited. "There’s very little physically left to access, and it was against Jewish law for certain elements of society to have sketches or images of themselves. We used artistic license on the production of many things." However, she did have the benefit of some archeological finds. Masters brought back many photographs of jewelry from his visit to the museum at Masada, and she was able to locate online photos of a lot of pieces of textile, sandals, and more.
In addition, a historian in Toronto introduced White to writings by Josephus. "Josephus had written about the Sicarii, and what was interesting to me was that the capes were not really capes but just a piece of fabric that they draped over their shoulders. Though, we did slightly modify that look by putting hoods on them to achieve a certain motion with them that [Simoneau] wanted," said White. "Josephus was from a priestly family, and he gave particularly useful detailed descriptions of the fabrics and gemstones that were in a high priest’s chest plate and crown as well as certain fabrics that they loved to wear. It really gave me insight into the fact that there were a lot more exotic fabrics around than one might have expected. They hadn’t connected with the East yet, so silks were not yet part of their wardrobe, but linens and woolens were. Another interesting finding was that wearing linen and wool together was against Jewish law." White was also pleased to find some written materials referencing Josephus and how and why he would have dressed the way he did.
Using Sewing and Dress Making Techniques of the Day
To construct the fabric costumes, White researched dyes and employed a lot of sewing techniques of the day. "We used a lot of hand-stitching along the side – little embroidery chain stitches – and we left all seams on the outside so we’d get the feel of the period and the fact that fabric would fray and look worn. Looms were much narrower then so we tried to keep it that the clothing would have seams right where the width of the loom would have been. Even a simple dress took about 10 hours to construct. We started by making the costume out of off-white textured fabric, then did dye samples to determine the best color to use, and lastly, the piece went into the whole dye process."
Utilizing Color in the Costumes to Help Convey the Story
To provide a different tone and feel for the characters in Jerusalem versus Masada, Simoneau and White decided to mirror the choices for the set design by choosing various vivid colors for the costumes in the Jerusalem scenes and very washed-out versions of the same colors for when the characters are at Masada.
"We were very meticulous in defining the color schemes of the costumes," said Simoneau. "Delphine even photographed parts of the walls of Fort Ricasoli when she noticed an interesting color in the stone. All the clothing was dyed based on these colors, so that the fresco I wanted to create was completely organic."
The Roman Armor of the 10th Legion and the Artistry Involved in the Assorted Metal Work
For the armor for the Roman soldiers of the 10th Legion, who were led by Roman General Flavius Silva (played by Sam Hazeldine), White came to Malta with a suitcase full of books containing very detailed information on Rome and the 10th Legion at the time. In addition, her Italian costume supervisor, Augusto Grassi, "made a tremendous contribution" in helping with the design. He was able to help her source most of the metal and leather lorica segmentata, armor worn by Roman soldiers, from costume houses in Rome and Bulgaria, with the rest coming from Malta and India. However, for Silva and Claudius (played by Kenneth Spiteri), Silva’s second-in-command on the project, White and Grassi had the armor sculpted in Bulgaria. White said that while the leather lorica segmentata came 100 years later, she and Simoneau liked how it looked in their desert scenes.
"One of our particularly impressive costumes was made for Silva. A lot of research went into it, and our metal worker, Luca Giampoli, who did all of the metal work on this project, pounded it out by hand, including the detailing of the head of Medusa, which adorned the real Silva’s armor." Silva’s helmet, which also featured a depiction of Medusa, and his metal armbands were made by hand at the workshop as well. "The helmet took about a week to make." Giampoli started with a piece of metal, pounding out the helmet and making sure the edges weren’t sharp. He designed the Medusa on his computer, transferred it onto a different piece of metal and then pounded out the image by hand until it was a three dimensional pattern. After the Medusa was riveted to the face of the helmet, the helmet was lined with the proper leather. Lastly, feathers were dyed red and affixed to the top. The sandals were made in Malta, and all of the jewelry in this production was also handmade by Giampoli at the production workshop. "We have real artisans on this project, so I’m probably proudest of the craftsmanship," said White.
Source:
Roma Downey Interview
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ROMA DOWNEY AND THE LEAD ACTORS OF CBS’S "THE DOVEKEEPERS" DISCUSS THE MAKING OF THIS EPIC LIMITED EVENT SERIES
Roma Downey Reveals What Inspired Her to Bring
Alice Hoffman’s Bestselling Historical Novel to Film
Cote de Pablo, Rachel Brosnahan, Kathryn Prescott, Diego Boneta and Sam Neill
Share Various Behind-the-Scenes Experiences and
What Drew Them to this Project
THE DOVEKEEPERS, a limited event series from Executive Producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, will be broadcast Tuesday, March 31 and Wednesday, April 1 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT, each night) on the CBS Television Network. It stars Cote de Pablo, Rachel Brosnahan and Kathryn Prescott in the title dovekeeper roles; Sam Neill as first-century Jewish scholar and historian Josephus; and Diego Boneta as a star warrior of the Jewish army at Masada. The series is based on Alice Hoffman’s bestselling, critically acclaimed historical novel about a group of extraordinary women whose lives intersect in a fight for survival at the Siege of Masada.
Set in ancient Israel, THE DOVEKEEPERS is based on the true events when 960 Jews sought refuge at Masada, a mountain fortress in the Judean desert, after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 C.E. Though outnumbered 10 to one, they held out for months against a vast Roman army. The project recounts the events from the perspective of a few extraordinary women who arrive at Masada with unique backstories, but a common bond for survival.
The Genesis of the Project
"I completely fell in love with the novel, THE DOVEKEEPERS written by Alice Hoffman, while reading it on a flight to Europe a couple of years ago," shared Downey. "I simply couldn’t put the book down… I found the story gripping and exciting. I was so profoundly moved by it that I was weeping openly on the plane, the flight attendant even checked in on me to see if I was okay. When I returned home I immediately reached out to Alice Hoffman to secure the rights and took the idea in to CBS Entertainment Chairman Nina Tassler and said, ‘I have this wonderful book THE DOVEKEEPERS I know it will make an incredible movie as it tells the story of the Siege of Masada – but it tells it through the lives of these strong and courageous women. History is most often written by men about men but this is a story told through the lives of these incredible women.’ Coincidently, Nina Tassler had just returned from Masada and responded to the new spin on this story. She loved the idea and wanted it for CBS. So we got together and made this gorgeous four-hour event. On one hand, THE DOVEKEEPERS is big and epic, exciting and dangerous, yet on the other hand, it's intimate, poignant and profoundly moving. Alice Hoffman has been involved from the beginning and incredibly helpful throughout. She has, of course, watched all four hours and told us that she loves it. I think the audience is going to just fall in love with this, as they will relate to the humanity in these extraordinary characters. Everyone will relate to the story of THE DOVEKEEPERS. Ultimately, it is a love story set against this dark moment in history."
"Set in the first century, the Jews were being persecuted by the Romans’ oppressive regime," added Downey. "When the Romans invaded Jerusalem, more than 900 Jews escaped and found the ‘unreachable fortress’ of Masada, where they started a new life. They believed they’d be safe there. They worked together, had friendships and love affairs – everything that would happen in a small community. They thought that they were going to be left alone... But then it became clear to the people at Masada that the Roman Legion was coming to get them."
Having Visited the Real Masada
Like Tassler, Downey and Burnett each visited Masada and were moved by it, which added to the appeal of producing THE DOVEKEEPERS. Cote de Pablo also traveled to Masada several years ago and felt fortunate to be able to draw from that experience when preparing for her role. "It’s a remarkable place on top of a mountain. It’s much higher than everything around it, and you can see The Dead Sea from one end and the desert on the other," said de Pablo. "To think that the people there resisted an army like the Roman Legion… You wonder, ‘How could they go through that?’"
As Downey noted when she pitched Tassler, the female point of view in Hoffman’s book was especially interesting to her: "Being an actress myself for many years, I know that we actresses often complain – and rightfully so – that there just aren’t enough incredible, strong, courageous roles for women. And THE DOVEKEEPERS provides not just one, but several amazing female roles. History, I think, has often been told only from the experiences of men, and to have this period of history told through the lives of these women makes this a very unique telling of this story. And for our beautiful cast of female leads – Cote de Pablo, Rachel Brosnahan and Kathryn Prescott – we have really extraordinary roles. We see their friendships, and we take this journey with them."
Brosnahan also enjoyed the book’s focus on resilient women, and found the novel to be particularly useful in preparing to play the contemplative yet impulsive character Yael. "The script remains true to the book in so many ways, but it’s the book that provides a wealth of vivid descriptions of Yael’s every thought and emotion. So it gave me a beautiful outline… Yael barely says anything at all in the book; Shirah speaks a lot more. They balance each other very well and have a lot to teach each other."
Said de Pablo, "I love the book. I finished it in two days. I was so touched by the story. I said, ‘I have to be part of this.’ We’ve made a couple of changes from the book – condensing it a bit – but it’s still an effective and beautiful telling of the story… Shirah is flawed, certainly, but her heart has this integrity. I love that these women are complex and imperfect and that their love is big and unconditional."
Added Prescott, "The characters are fictional, but the events are real, and it’s set in a time when women were pushed to the side – not seen as important. So the book is a nice contrast to that, since the women are strong characters who fight against the norms of that time… I was immediately attracted to my character, Aziza, because she’s not comfortable in her own skin as a woman. She wants to be a warrior; she’s really skilled in battle. She defies the stereotypes of that time." Prescott also likes that Yael is a kindred spirit to Aziza, noting that they’re both outcasts who bond soon after Yael first joins Aziza and her mother, Shirah, at the dovecote.
Boneta, who plays a Sicarii warrior at Masada, said, "I really like how the book and script balance the love stories of the strong dovekeeper characters with the action in the battle scenes. I think this production will appeal to a wide audience." As for his role of Amram, Boneta particularly enjoyed the challenges of playing someone who undergoes a fairly drastic psychological transformation. "His story arc is really interesting because he starts off as the sweet, loving brother to Yael and ends up being greatly changed by war. That was a twist I didn’t see coming when I read the story."
Real-Life First-Century Historian Josephus
Though Sam Neill was not familiar with Josephus prior to this project, he was intrigued by what he learned while reading about him. "This is someone who is actually Jewish but in order to survive he has become more Roman. It’s an interesting way into the character… He must have had extraordinarily mixed feelings about what happened at Masada."
The Appeal and Efforts Involved in Filming a Period Piece
In addition to their fondness for the book and story, the cast members were excited that THE DOVEKEEPERS is set in ancient times.
"I couldn’t stop playing with the swords and didn’t want to take my armor off," laughed Boneta. "I’ve been collecting swords since I was 8 years old, and it was always one of my dreams to play a warrior in a period piece. I’m a history buff and have read numerous books on Roman history and Greek history and Alexander the Great – and most of my favorite movies are set back then, like ‘Gladiator.’ I think part of me wishes I lived in ancient times! I even asked our director [Yves Simoneau] if I could help design Amram’s weapons, which I did with the production designer [Giles Masters]." Boneta added, "I’ve really been blown away by the sets and wardrobe and the hair and makeup. The leather work and armor work is amazing – all of the details are. Having Roma [Downey] and Mark [Burnett] on set spearheading the project was amazing. They’re great people and they’ve had a lot of experience telling these kinds of epic stories."
"I’ve done many period pieces over the years, but this is the first with a toga and sandals," said Neill. "I have a new appreciation for the technique of that wardrobe. It takes a lot of effort not to have the toga unravel! That was a major fear -- that the toga would unravel in front of Cote and Rachel," laughed Neill. "It’s kind of a loincloth on steroids, but once you’re in costume, you’re transported to that time in a curious way."
"I always wanted to do a period piece and wear a long flowing wig," de Pablo laughed. "It was fun. And we were so lucky to be working with [Costume Designer] Delphine White. She’s terrific and had done a lot of research on that period of time. She was constantly reminding us girls that we have to wear the veils. Of course, we’re modern girls, so we kept protesting, ‘Can we please play the scene without the veil?’ Then we got used to it, and were asking, ‘Where’s the veil?!’ Delphine dyed all of the fabrics and had to make everything look worn because these people didn’t have endless amounts of clothing. So, we were wearing sort of the same things all the time. And there were these little touches that were done on purpose – at first, I was thinking, ‘Oh, someone forgot to hem this.’ But, no, it was all incredibly precise; that’s the way she wanted it."
Brosnahan concurred, "The costumes are incredible. Delphine did such an impeccable job with the authenticity and with expanding the color palette to emphasize each character's unique identity. And the armor is spectacular, made out of leather and these intricate metal designs. Even the sandals were all hand made in Malta. It’s exciting for me as a performer to feel so transformed by the costumes."
"It was nice working with the elaborate period costumes, and with Aziza there were big wardrobe changes," said Prescott. As for the setting, she added, "My first day on set was kind of breathtaking. Most of the work I’d done prior to this was in big indoor studios or at modern locations. With the buildings and sets in Malta I was able to immediately get into that time and place, because I was surrounded by it. I’m really grateful that we got to go to Malta to shoot this. The Masada set was real ruins of a fort that they built around to make it look like it was inhabited."
The Benefits of Filming in Malta
Prescott was not alone in believing that filming in Malta added an extra layer of authenticity that not only gives the production a rich look, but also helped them feel like they were in another era. Much of the filming was done at the centuries-old Fort Ricasoli, which served as the location for the Masada and Jerusalem scenes. (See THE DOVEKEEPERS feature on the creators’ insights into the production and costume design for more details about Fort Ricasoli.)
"The fact that we filmed in Malta was pretty appealing," said de Pablo. "The sets and surroundings were beautiful. At our Masada set where our characters live, the stone walls were very thick and were hundreds of years old. It was magical to shoot in a place like that, because it really felt like we were in a bit of a time capsule."
"Malta’s absolutely beautiful and it has so much rich history that being here has made it so easy to transport back in time," agreed Brosnahan. "The old buildings that are part of our Masada set are incredible, and for Yael’s journey to Masada from Jerusalem, I shot some scenes in a big cave on the side of a mountain overlooking the water. It was so spectacular, and not having seen the cave before we shot the scenes was actually a gift, because it meant we showed up and there's a level of spontaneity that comes from just reacting to your environment. It was very, very hot, which has added another layer of authenticity. We found ourselves having to pretend very little," she chuckles.
"The locations were really impressive,” agreed Boneta. “There’s just something about Europe and the Mediterranean -- there’s just so much history and culture there. It’s not surprising that many epic movies have been shot at Fort Ricasoli, like ‘Gladiator’ and ‘Troy,’ among others."
"I was happy to be filming in Malta again," said Neill. "The Maltese are nice people, and it’s an interesting place because it’s the intersection of all of the Mediterranean cultures and there’s lots of history there. There are Neolithic ruins that are even more ancient than Masada."
Training for Their Roles as Warriors
Both Boneta and Prescott had to train for their warrior scenes in THE DOVEKEEPERS.
"I wanted to train and rehearse as much as possible," relayed Boneta. "I got there about three weeks prior to shooting to train with our stunt coordinator, Jean Frenette, who has done amazing work in other epic movies, like ‘300.’ I trained for four hours a day with stunt guys going through the battle scene choreography. I’m a black belt in taekwondo, which helped a lot. It was mainly knife fighting and sword play. I had to learn a bit of archery, but my character’s main focus is the dagger, since he’s a Sicarii warrior, which translates from Latin to ‘dagger men.’"
"I used to do a lot of martial arts, and that definitely helped when I was training for this,” said Prescott, who trained with a sword and did some archery training for about two weeks prior to production. “I also had to learn how to ride a horse. Though you never see Aziza galloping, so I didn’t train to go that fast."
Boneta chose to prepare for his role as a warrior from an emotional perspective, as well. "My character is definitely impacted by the horrors of battle, and I really wanted to understand what that meant. My uncle is a doctor in the U.S. Army, so I was able to sit down with some amazing people and pick their brains and understand what they went through. It was amazing. I also met a former French Legionnaire from the Special Forces. The stories that he told me – and just the look in his eyes, his stare – you could tell he had seen things that no one else had seen or would want to see. That information was so valuable."
Working with Real Birds in Their Dovekeeper Roles
Prescott, de Pablo and Brosnahan learned from local dove trainer Philip Carbonaro how to hold doves as well as white pigeons, which were sometimes used in lieu of doves. It was an important part of life at Masada to look after the doves. Housed in dovecotes, dove droppings were used as fertilizer to help yield better harvests.
"Doves are such beautiful animals and they’re very peaceful,” said Brosnahan. “They’re exactly like what they symbolize, though they are a bit fussy when you hold them wrong. I found that if they relax they’ll just sit in your hands; they’re really sweet. Having real doves added so much to the scenes."
"At first I was scared and didn’t want to hold a dove, but I was told if you sort of swaddle it tight like a baby, it feels safe and supported. It worked," smiled Prescott.
"When we’d let the doves go outdoors, my question was, ‘Where are the doves going?’” said de Pablo. “Then I found out that they are trained to go back home. And I learned that doves mate for life, which, of course, killed me – the hopeless romantic that I am!"
Working with Additional Animals on Set
Another hit on set with actors and crew members alike was Tedy, a sweet 7-month-old donkey who appears among some elder donkeys, mules, goats and human extras in the Masada scenes. Less admired were some of the camels in the desert scenes, that were "kind of mean," said Brosnahan. Still, she said, working with animals keeps actors spontaneous. "One of the goats wouldn’t stop bleating and had to be removed from a scene and, I’m disappointed not to have witnessed it, but one of the donkeys got loose and was running around base camp wreaking havoc. There was never a dull moment!" she laughed.
The Takeaways and Relatability of This Story
"What we see in this story is that in spite of the awfulness of the times that they were living in, love is ultimately stronger than hate, courage is ultimately stronger than fear, and the power of surviving is more powerful than war," shared Downey. "So, I think that as tragic as the story is – and it is a sad story – at its heart it’s heroic and courageous. I think that people are really going to respond to that."
Boneta added, "The Siege of Masada is not unlike many of the atrocities going on around the world today, 2,000 years later. Our project is a love story set during a war, so it focuses on the people, not on the event. That makes it more intimate and universal and timeless.” Prescott agreed, adding, “So much of the story is driven by the characters and what’s happening to them, which makes it more relatable.”
“The stakes are enormously high for these people – everything is truly life or death,” said Brosnahan. “But the story is about love, courage, perseverance, loss and self-discovery, and everyone can relate to that.”
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ROMA DOWNEY AND THE LEAD ACTORS OF CBS’S "THE DOVEKEEPERS" DISCUSS THE MAKING OF THIS EPIC LIMITED EVENT SERIES
Roma Downey Reveals What Inspired Her to Bring
Alice Hoffman’s Bestselling Historical Novel to Film
Cote de Pablo, Rachel Brosnahan, Kathryn Prescott, Diego Boneta and Sam Neill
Share Various Behind-the-Scenes Experiences and
What Drew Them to this Project
THE DOVEKEEPERS, a limited event series from Executive Producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, will be broadcast Tuesday, March 31 and Wednesday, April 1 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT, each night) on the CBS Television Network. It stars Cote de Pablo, Rachel Brosnahan and Kathryn Prescott in the title dovekeeper roles; Sam Neill as first-century Jewish scholar and historian Josephus; and Diego Boneta as a star warrior of the Jewish army at Masada. The series is based on Alice Hoffman’s bestselling, critically acclaimed historical novel about a group of extraordinary women whose lives intersect in a fight for survival at the Siege of Masada.
Set in ancient Israel, THE DOVEKEEPERS is based on the true events when 960 Jews sought refuge at Masada, a mountain fortress in the Judean desert, after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 C.E. Though outnumbered 10 to one, they held out for months against a vast Roman army. The project recounts the events from the perspective of a few extraordinary women who arrive at Masada with unique backstories, but a common bond for survival.
The Genesis of the Project
"I completely fell in love with the novel, THE DOVEKEEPERS written by Alice Hoffman, while reading it on a flight to Europe a couple of years ago," shared Downey. "I simply couldn’t put the book down… I found the story gripping and exciting. I was so profoundly moved by it that I was weeping openly on the plane, the flight attendant even checked in on me to see if I was okay. When I returned home I immediately reached out to Alice Hoffman to secure the rights and took the idea in to CBS Entertainment Chairman Nina Tassler and said, ‘I have this wonderful book THE DOVEKEEPERS I know it will make an incredible movie as it tells the story of the Siege of Masada – but it tells it through the lives of these strong and courageous women. History is most often written by men about men but this is a story told through the lives of these incredible women.’ Coincidently, Nina Tassler had just returned from Masada and responded to the new spin on this story. She loved the idea and wanted it for CBS. So we got together and made this gorgeous four-hour event. On one hand, THE DOVEKEEPERS is big and epic, exciting and dangerous, yet on the other hand, it's intimate, poignant and profoundly moving. Alice Hoffman has been involved from the beginning and incredibly helpful throughout. She has, of course, watched all four hours and told us that she loves it. I think the audience is going to just fall in love with this, as they will relate to the humanity in these extraordinary characters. Everyone will relate to the story of THE DOVEKEEPERS. Ultimately, it is a love story set against this dark moment in history."
"Set in the first century, the Jews were being persecuted by the Romans’ oppressive regime," added Downey. "When the Romans invaded Jerusalem, more than 900 Jews escaped and found the ‘unreachable fortress’ of Masada, where they started a new life. They believed they’d be safe there. They worked together, had friendships and love affairs – everything that would happen in a small community. They thought that they were going to be left alone... But then it became clear to the people at Masada that the Roman Legion was coming to get them."
Having Visited the Real Masada
Like Tassler, Downey and Burnett each visited Masada and were moved by it, which added to the appeal of producing THE DOVEKEEPERS. Cote de Pablo also traveled to Masada several years ago and felt fortunate to be able to draw from that experience when preparing for her role. "It’s a remarkable place on top of a mountain. It’s much higher than everything around it, and you can see The Dead Sea from one end and the desert on the other," said de Pablo. "To think that the people there resisted an army like the Roman Legion… You wonder, ‘How could they go through that?’"
As Downey noted when she pitched Tassler, the female point of view in Hoffman’s book was especially interesting to her: "Being an actress myself for many years, I know that we actresses often complain – and rightfully so – that there just aren’t enough incredible, strong, courageous roles for women. And THE DOVEKEEPERS provides not just one, but several amazing female roles. History, I think, has often been told only from the experiences of men, and to have this period of history told through the lives of these women makes this a very unique telling of this story. And for our beautiful cast of female leads – Cote de Pablo, Rachel Brosnahan and Kathryn Prescott – we have really extraordinary roles. We see their friendships, and we take this journey with them."
Brosnahan also enjoyed the book’s focus on resilient women, and found the novel to be particularly useful in preparing to play the contemplative yet impulsive character Yael. "The script remains true to the book in so many ways, but it’s the book that provides a wealth of vivid descriptions of Yael’s every thought and emotion. So it gave me a beautiful outline… Yael barely says anything at all in the book; Shirah speaks a lot more. They balance each other very well and have a lot to teach each other."
Said de Pablo, "I love the book. I finished it in two days. I was so touched by the story. I said, ‘I have to be part of this.’ We’ve made a couple of changes from the book – condensing it a bit – but it’s still an effective and beautiful telling of the story… Shirah is flawed, certainly, but her heart has this integrity. I love that these women are complex and imperfect and that their love is big and unconditional."
Added Prescott, "The characters are fictional, but the events are real, and it’s set in a time when women were pushed to the side – not seen as important. So the book is a nice contrast to that, since the women are strong characters who fight against the norms of that time… I was immediately attracted to my character, Aziza, because she’s not comfortable in her own skin as a woman. She wants to be a warrior; she’s really skilled in battle. She defies the stereotypes of that time." Prescott also likes that Yael is a kindred spirit to Aziza, noting that they’re both outcasts who bond soon after Yael first joins Aziza and her mother, Shirah, at the dovecote.
Boneta, who plays a Sicarii warrior at Masada, said, "I really like how the book and script balance the love stories of the strong dovekeeper characters with the action in the battle scenes. I think this production will appeal to a wide audience." As for his role of Amram, Boneta particularly enjoyed the challenges of playing someone who undergoes a fairly drastic psychological transformation. "His story arc is really interesting because he starts off as the sweet, loving brother to Yael and ends up being greatly changed by war. That was a twist I didn’t see coming when I read the story."
Real-Life First-Century Historian Josephus
Though Sam Neill was not familiar with Josephus prior to this project, he was intrigued by what he learned while reading about him. "This is someone who is actually Jewish but in order to survive he has become more Roman. It’s an interesting way into the character… He must have had extraordinarily mixed feelings about what happened at Masada."
The Appeal and Efforts Involved in Filming a Period Piece
In addition to their fondness for the book and story, the cast members were excited that THE DOVEKEEPERS is set in ancient times.
"I couldn’t stop playing with the swords and didn’t want to take my armor off," laughed Boneta. "I’ve been collecting swords since I was 8 years old, and it was always one of my dreams to play a warrior in a period piece. I’m a history buff and have read numerous books on Roman history and Greek history and Alexander the Great – and most of my favorite movies are set back then, like ‘Gladiator.’ I think part of me wishes I lived in ancient times! I even asked our director [Yves Simoneau] if I could help design Amram’s weapons, which I did with the production designer [Giles Masters]." Boneta added, "I’ve really been blown away by the sets and wardrobe and the hair and makeup. The leather work and armor work is amazing – all of the details are. Having Roma [Downey] and Mark [Burnett] on set spearheading the project was amazing. They’re great people and they’ve had a lot of experience telling these kinds of epic stories."
"I’ve done many period pieces over the years, but this is the first with a toga and sandals," said Neill. "I have a new appreciation for the technique of that wardrobe. It takes a lot of effort not to have the toga unravel! That was a major fear -- that the toga would unravel in front of Cote and Rachel," laughed Neill. "It’s kind of a loincloth on steroids, but once you’re in costume, you’re transported to that time in a curious way."
"I always wanted to do a period piece and wear a long flowing wig," de Pablo laughed. "It was fun. And we were so lucky to be working with [Costume Designer] Delphine White. She’s terrific and had done a lot of research on that period of time. She was constantly reminding us girls that we have to wear the veils. Of course, we’re modern girls, so we kept protesting, ‘Can we please play the scene without the veil?’ Then we got used to it, and were asking, ‘Where’s the veil?!’ Delphine dyed all of the fabrics and had to make everything look worn because these people didn’t have endless amounts of clothing. So, we were wearing sort of the same things all the time. And there were these little touches that were done on purpose – at first, I was thinking, ‘Oh, someone forgot to hem this.’ But, no, it was all incredibly precise; that’s the way she wanted it."
Brosnahan concurred, "The costumes are incredible. Delphine did such an impeccable job with the authenticity and with expanding the color palette to emphasize each character's unique identity. And the armor is spectacular, made out of leather and these intricate metal designs. Even the sandals were all hand made in Malta. It’s exciting for me as a performer to feel so transformed by the costumes."
"It was nice working with the elaborate period costumes, and with Aziza there were big wardrobe changes," said Prescott. As for the setting, she added, "My first day on set was kind of breathtaking. Most of the work I’d done prior to this was in big indoor studios or at modern locations. With the buildings and sets in Malta I was able to immediately get into that time and place, because I was surrounded by it. I’m really grateful that we got to go to Malta to shoot this. The Masada set was real ruins of a fort that they built around to make it look like it was inhabited."
The Benefits of Filming in Malta
Prescott was not alone in believing that filming in Malta added an extra layer of authenticity that not only gives the production a rich look, but also helped them feel like they were in another era. Much of the filming was done at the centuries-old Fort Ricasoli, which served as the location for the Masada and Jerusalem scenes. (See THE DOVEKEEPERS feature on the creators’ insights into the production and costume design for more details about Fort Ricasoli.)
"The fact that we filmed in Malta was pretty appealing," said de Pablo. "The sets and surroundings were beautiful. At our Masada set where our characters live, the stone walls were very thick and were hundreds of years old. It was magical to shoot in a place like that, because it really felt like we were in a bit of a time capsule."
"Malta’s absolutely beautiful and it has so much rich history that being here has made it so easy to transport back in time," agreed Brosnahan. "The old buildings that are part of our Masada set are incredible, and for Yael’s journey to Masada from Jerusalem, I shot some scenes in a big cave on the side of a mountain overlooking the water. It was so spectacular, and not having seen the cave before we shot the scenes was actually a gift, because it meant we showed up and there's a level of spontaneity that comes from just reacting to your environment. It was very, very hot, which has added another layer of authenticity. We found ourselves having to pretend very little," she chuckles.
"The locations were really impressive,” agreed Boneta. “There’s just something about Europe and the Mediterranean -- there’s just so much history and culture there. It’s not surprising that many epic movies have been shot at Fort Ricasoli, like ‘Gladiator’ and ‘Troy,’ among others."
"I was happy to be filming in Malta again," said Neill. "The Maltese are nice people, and it’s an interesting place because it’s the intersection of all of the Mediterranean cultures and there’s lots of history there. There are Neolithic ruins that are even more ancient than Masada."
Training for Their Roles as Warriors
Both Boneta and Prescott had to train for their warrior scenes in THE DOVEKEEPERS.
"I wanted to train and rehearse as much as possible," relayed Boneta. "I got there about three weeks prior to shooting to train with our stunt coordinator, Jean Frenette, who has done amazing work in other epic movies, like ‘300.’ I trained for four hours a day with stunt guys going through the battle scene choreography. I’m a black belt in taekwondo, which helped a lot. It was mainly knife fighting and sword play. I had to learn a bit of archery, but my character’s main focus is the dagger, since he’s a Sicarii warrior, which translates from Latin to ‘dagger men.’"
"I used to do a lot of martial arts, and that definitely helped when I was training for this,” said Prescott, who trained with a sword and did some archery training for about two weeks prior to production. “I also had to learn how to ride a horse. Though you never see Aziza galloping, so I didn’t train to go that fast."
Boneta chose to prepare for his role as a warrior from an emotional perspective, as well. "My character is definitely impacted by the horrors of battle, and I really wanted to understand what that meant. My uncle is a doctor in the U.S. Army, so I was able to sit down with some amazing people and pick their brains and understand what they went through. It was amazing. I also met a former French Legionnaire from the Special Forces. The stories that he told me – and just the look in his eyes, his stare – you could tell he had seen things that no one else had seen or would want to see. That information was so valuable."
Working with Real Birds in Their Dovekeeper Roles
Prescott, de Pablo and Brosnahan learned from local dove trainer Philip Carbonaro how to hold doves as well as white pigeons, which were sometimes used in lieu of doves. It was an important part of life at Masada to look after the doves. Housed in dovecotes, dove droppings were used as fertilizer to help yield better harvests.
"Doves are such beautiful animals and they’re very peaceful,” said Brosnahan. “They’re exactly like what they symbolize, though they are a bit fussy when you hold them wrong. I found that if they relax they’ll just sit in your hands; they’re really sweet. Having real doves added so much to the scenes."
"At first I was scared and didn’t want to hold a dove, but I was told if you sort of swaddle it tight like a baby, it feels safe and supported. It worked," smiled Prescott.
"When we’d let the doves go outdoors, my question was, ‘Where are the doves going?’” said de Pablo. “Then I found out that they are trained to go back home. And I learned that doves mate for life, which, of course, killed me – the hopeless romantic that I am!"
Working with Additional Animals on Set
Another hit on set with actors and crew members alike was Tedy, a sweet 7-month-old donkey who appears among some elder donkeys, mules, goats and human extras in the Masada scenes. Less admired were some of the camels in the desert scenes, that were "kind of mean," said Brosnahan. Still, she said, working with animals keeps actors spontaneous. "One of the goats wouldn’t stop bleating and had to be removed from a scene and, I’m disappointed not to have witnessed it, but one of the donkeys got loose and was running around base camp wreaking havoc. There was never a dull moment!" she laughed.
The Takeaways and Relatability of This Story
"What we see in this story is that in spite of the awfulness of the times that they were living in, love is ultimately stronger than hate, courage is ultimately stronger than fear, and the power of surviving is more powerful than war," shared Downey. "So, I think that as tragic as the story is – and it is a sad story – at its heart it’s heroic and courageous. I think that people are really going to respond to that."
Boneta added, "The Siege of Masada is not unlike many of the atrocities going on around the world today, 2,000 years later. Our project is a love story set during a war, so it focuses on the people, not on the event. That makes it more intimate and universal and timeless.” Prescott agreed, adding, “So much of the story is driven by the characters and what’s happening to them, which makes it more relatable.”
“The stakes are enormously high for these people – everything is truly life or death,” said Brosnahan. “But the story is about love, courage, perseverance, loss and self-discovery, and everyone can relate to that.”
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