Lorenzo Minoli
A Conversation With Lorenzo Minoli
(Executive Porducer)

Q: What attracted you to this project?
A: In history one can find stories and or characters that may help to understand our days. CAESAR represents the dilemma of the powerful man with a vision ahead of his time. He had an idea of the future Roman Empire that collided with the petty politics of a corrupted Senate representative of lobbies and powerful families. Caesar had to become a dictator in order to impose his visions. He had to kill his adversaries in order to implement his vision. He had to kill and enslave hundreds of thousands of innocent Gauls (mostly loyal to the Roman Ruling) in order to win the popular support that allowed him to go ahead with his plan. He paid the highest price for his vision and left Rome in a state of chaos for 12 years after his death. It is a story that repeats itself over and over in the history of mankind. It is a story that may make us think about our times.

Q: What do you think will most surprise viewers?
A: The viewers will be pleasantly surprised by the production values and by the great acting of Jeremy Sisto, Chris Walken, Chris Noth, Valeria Golino and of the great and unique Richard Harris.

Q: How difficult is it to do a period piece such as this, versus working on something set in a more modern era?
A: A period piece is a product of love; it cannot be anything else. It takes time to prepare costumes and sets, it takes time for the make-up, it takes time for the shooting. Uli Edel is a very sophisticated director and is careful in the small details as well as in the "big picture." To produce a movie with him means to be at the top of your professionalism, particularly when you make a period piece.

Q: What did you find most memorable in making this movie?
A: The filming took about 12 weeks between Malta and Bulgaria. I am deeply grateful to the entire crew and to our friends in Malta who have helped us to deliver a 'big' movie. I will also remember a great actor, Richard Harris, who starred in my first movie, Abraham, produced for TNT with my friend Jerry Rafshoon.

Q: What do you hope audiences will take from the film? A: First and foremost, I hope that the audience will enjoy the film. It is rich in human drama, epic battles and is full of interesting characters very well developed by our writers. If at the end of the movie viewers feels as though they have learned something about human beings, about people in power, about the use and misuse of power, well, that would be an added value that I would be proud of.

Q: The sets are amazing. Were they all constructed for the movie?
A: Our sets were completely built by our crew. The Senate, the Market, the streets and the Temple of Rome, along with the house of Caesar, were built at Forte Ricasoli in Malta. The walls and Alesia were built in Bulgaria. All costumes were designed and made for the movie by our costume designer, Simonetta Leoncini, probably the best in the world for this kind of movie. I want authenticity in my movies, and authenticity is what CAESAR gives.