The filming process of the film Coriolanus, directed by Ralph Fiennes, begins today in the Serbian town of Pancevo and will continue over the following three days at locations near the local high school and old Vajfert brewery. The first scenes to be shot during the coming days will be those involving local Serbian actors, Dragan Micanovic and Slavko Stimac, with the arrival of Vanessa Redgrave expected in a few days, while Gerard Butler coming in mid-April.
Ralph Fiennes, who has taken on the challenge filming a modern-day version of Shakespeare’s play Coriolanus in Serbia, has been focusing on the preparations for the shooting, to last for two months. Every day, Fiennes and his crew are up at six o’clock, they are visiting locations and have very little time to enjoy the nightlife in Belgrade. An exception was made a few days ago when they attended a party at Belgrade’s restaurant Kalemegdanska terasa, to mark the first day of shooting of Coriolanus, joined by Zeljko Mitrovic, Marko Miskovic, both executive producers of the film. Also present at the party were Ivica Dacic, Serbian Interior Minister, actor Lazar Ristovski and the UK ambassador in Serbia.
The first scenes to be shot will be on the same sites where Serbian classics such as Ko to tamo peva, Maratonci trce pocasni krug, Kad budem mrtav i beo and Skupljaci perja were all shot. Moreover, this is where Balkan ekspres and Zone of the dead were filmed.
Besides Pancevo, Coriolanus will be shot on thirty-odd different locations in Belgrade (Parliament of Serbia, Dorcol, railway depot in Rakovica, Kalenic open-air market, the motorway), while one scene will also be shot in Montenegro.
Director Ralph Fiennes confirms why he has opted for Serbia’s capital as the chief location for Coriolanus.
– “I’ve come to realize here in Belgrade that a lot of history is reflected through buildings. This is a capital city with a great history. I have been to Bucharest and Zagreb, but Belgrade has always been the first choice for me. Initially, I was attracted by Belgrade’s spirit and later I realized this was an ideal filming locationâ€.