TORONTO – Since Carlo Lizzani’s 1949 documentary Nel Mezzogiorno Qualcosa è Cambiato (Something Has Changed in the South), nearly 60 major films have been shot in and around Matera’s 10,000-year-old cave dwellings – known as the Sassi. And now the sixth season of The Chosen, a very popular miniseries about the mission of Jesus of Nazareth, is being filmed in the aptly named “City of Stones”.
While the biblical based miniseries is currently airing its fifth season, the production crew for season six chose to swap their Texas Studios for the dramatic cliff homes and ancient backdrop of Matera. As arguably the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, it’s no surprise that Hollywood’s film crews are trawling their equipment across the pond. In this case, to double as Jerusalem.
Bigger productions however don’t typically shoot on location, as complicated logistics tend to burn through a film’s budget. But filming in open air almost always enhances the final product. The immersive experience of shooting on location, for example, can inspire an actor’s performance. “In Texas, you do step from civilization into the ancient world, whereas here [in Matera] you are just always in the ancient world”, says George Harrison Xanthis, who plays the Apostle John in the series.
This wonderfully preserved ancient city, whose Sassi have now been refurbished into AirBnBs, boutique hotels and restaurants, saw a significant surge in tourism in 2019. Then designated the “European Capital of Culture”, the city saw a 153.7% increase in arrivals and a 198.3% increase in stays that year, compared to 2014. The global spotlight shone onto the city was so impactful, it received a record-breaking one million visitors that year.
But before the advent of social media and EU cultural initiatives, a milestone movie The Passion of the Christ (2004) reminded the world of Basilicata’s hidden gem. According to the then Mayor of Matera, Raffaello Ruggieri, The Passion of the Christ afforded a financial boost of €10m to the town’s economy. It would take Daniel Craig’s James Bond in 2019 with its estimated 400 man crew and hundreds of extras to best Mel Gibson’s contribution by an additional €2m.
Seeking to carry that torch forward, The Chosen filmmakers hope that audiences will have a “more intimate and personal experience” when they watch the Matera-based episodes. The first two episodes of season 5 were released on Amazon Prime Video last Sunday, with the remaining episodes to be released over the next two weeks. Writer/Director/Producer Dallas Jenkins says the episodes focus on “the most famous moment in the scriptures”, the Last Supper and Judas’ betrayal.
(Images on the set of The Chosen courtesy of 5 & 2 Studios)
Massimo Volpe is a filmmaker and freelance writer from Toronto: he writes reviews of Italian films/content on Netflix