Biblical epic relocates on southern NZ lake
07 Oct 2008
New Zealand’s picturesque southern Lake Benmore, in the central South Island, will be recast as the Sea of Galilee in a new major film project set to begin production soon.
The makers of 'Kingdom Come', a film on the life of Christ, have chosen a reserve on the shores of Lake Benmore as the place to recreate the historic village of Capernaum.
Media liaison for the film-maker Southern Vineyards Ltd, Ernie Malik, said the Falstone reserve site was chosen for the movie because "it worked in a physical sense".
The shape and contour of the Lake Benmore shore worked well to replicate the Sea of Galilee in Israel where Capernaum, mentioned in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, was located, he said.
Village recreation
Set constructors are building more than 100 facades to recreate the village on part of the reserve. Construction will also include a fishing harbour in the lake.
Lake Benmore was artificially created in the 1960s as part of a hydro-electricity scheme. It is New Zealand’s second largest man-made lake, and the country’s second largest hydro-electric station.
Other New Zealand locations will include Oamaru and Motueka, in the South Island, the capital city Wellington, and possibly Hawkes Bay, on the North Island’s eastern coast.
Casting calls
Production work on 'Kingdom Come' is due to begin in February 2009.
The first casting calls for hundreds of extras have been announced, with Peter Jackson’s Wellington film studios advertising for "a large number of extras" for shooting early next year in Wellington.
The producers are seeking men and women aged 18 and over who are, "or could pass" as Middle Eastern, Moroccan, North African and Mediterranean with dark hair and skin, or a tan. Men need to have or be prepared to grow beards for the film.
Big budget film
'Kingdom Come' will be directed by Dean Wright, a visual effects supervisor on 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' and 'Prince Caspian'.
The big-budget film is being made by South Vineyard whose Japan-based directors are also executive producers for the movie. The three men - Paul and Joshua Broman, and Naoyuki Baba - run a multinational software company, GrapeCity.
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