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"Mata Hari": 10 facts about the new series starring Vahina Giocante, Gérard Depardieu, Rutger Hauer, Christopher Lambert

On March 20 the First Channel will premiere the 12-series film "Mata Hari". Roles in the film were performed by legends of world cinema - Gérard Depardieu, Rutger Hauer, Christopher Lambert, and Russian stars - Maxim Matveev, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Viktoriya Isakova, Ksenia Rappoport, Alexander Petrov, Alexei Guskov, Anna Tsukanova-Kott and others. We've collected interesting facts about the "Mata Hari" series, which has every chance to become the brightest premiere of the TV season.

Vahina Giocante as Mata Hari 

The series is based on the real story of Mata Hari

As the name implies, the new series will tell the story of the life of a dancer and spy of the early 20th century, Margaretha Geertruida "Margreet" MacLeod (1876-1917). Her stage name, meaning "Eye of the morning" is known to many, but few know who was hiding behind the image of Mata Hari. The fate of Margaret is full of tragedies and dangerous turns. She was born and raised in Holland, lost her mother at the age of 15, married 38-year-old officer at the age of 18, moved with him to Indonesia, gave birth to two children. The son died at the age of two. Marriage did not work out, after the divorce, the ex-husband took Margaret's daughter (by the way, she also died at the age of 21), and she had to become a circus horsewoman, then a dancer, and then a courtesan. She had affairs with representatives of the political elite and entered the most luxurious homes of her time. Shortly before the outbreak of World War I, Margaret began to work for the German, and later for the French special services. In 1917, she was arrested by French intelligence, accused of spying for Germany and executed.

The creators point out that they aspired not only to tell the truth about the heroine, but also how to artistically rethink her biography. "That's why the picture will have fictional characters that did not exist in real life," - said one of the producers of the series Alexander Starikov.

A shot from the "Mata Hari" series 

Vahina Giocante as Mata Hari

"Mata Hari" - an international project involving Russia and Ukraine

The history of Mata Hari interested Russia, Portugal and Ukraine. The co-producers of the project were the First Channel and the Ukrainian Inter. The film crew, as expected, also turned out to be international: the director's chairs were taken by American Dennis Berry, Frenchman Julius Berg and Russian Olga Ryashina. The main role was played by the French actress, star of "99 francs" and "The Libertine" Vahina Giocante, and her co-stars were Rutger Hauer, Christopher Lambert, Gérard Depardieu, John Corbett, known to the audience in particular for the role of Kerry Bradshaw's boyfriend, Aidan in the "Sex In a big city " series and many others. Distribution rights have already been acquired by 30 countries.

Rutger Hauer in the role of judge Stolbakken in the "Mata Hari" series 

Christopher Lambert in the role of Gustav Kramer and Vahina Giocante in the "Mata Hari" series 

Gérard Depardieu as Bernard's father in the "Mata Hari" series 

John Corbett as Rudolph MacLeod in the "Mata Hari" series 

Filming took place in several countries

Portugal is a paradise for filmmakers wishing to make a historical film: outdoor advertising, plastic windows and antennas are prohibited in Lisbon - the authorities value the appearance of the city, its cultural identity. That's why it's convenient to shoot there: thanks to the artists, the city turned to Paris, then to Amsterdam at the end of the 19th century. Numerous battle scenes, as well as the line of the Russian beloved heroine performed by Maxim Matveev, were shot in Russia and Ukraine. The pavilion shootings took place on the territory of the Star Media studio.

Images from the series "Mata Hari"

Images from the "Mata Hari" series 

Images from the series "Mata Hari"

Images from the series "Mata Hari" 

Costumes for actors were made to order

Making of costumes, the creators came up as responsible as possible. All the outfits for the main characters were tailor-made in strict accordance with the fashion of the early 20th century. For example, Viktoriya Isakova received 20 sets of clothes for her heroine - vindictive Polish noblewoman Lydia Kireevskaya. And the dancing costumes of Margaret completely repeat the real outfits of Mata Hari based on the photos that have survived to this day.

Viktoriya Isakova as Lydia Kirievskaya in the series "Mata Hari"

Ksenia Rappaport as Elizabeth Shragmuller in the series "Mata Hari"

Ksenia Rappaport as Elizabeth Shragmuller in the series "Mata Hari" 

Alexei Guskov in the role of Georges Lada in the series "Mata Hari"

Actors wore custom-made suits. We picked up fabrics, image and even buttons and cuff links. Everything were thought over up to the finest detail ... Vahina Giocante had about 70 full-fledged suits, which were made by hand. And each necessarily consisted of several elements: a blouse, a skirt, a jacket, a hat, shoes and so on. We did not have to consult on civilian clothes, because we know the signs of the era well, but consultants helped us with the military form - from 1900 to 1918, the military costume has undergone significant changes. We made the French uniform ourselves, making buttons and helmets to order. There was a problem with gas masks of those years, which practically did not survive, but we solved this problem. - said costume designer Xenia Mavrina.

Mata Hari actors

Mata Hari actors

In some scenes Vahina Giocante was replaced by a dancer

Vahina Giocante has a ballet past: the girl had been dancing in the ballet of Roland Petit at the Marseilles opera for 2 years. Despite this, in some scenes of "Mata Hari" she was replaced by a professional dancer. 12 numbers that will be shown in the film, staged by the Russian choreographer Anton Yakovlev, who lives in Paris.

Vahina Giocante as Mata Hari

Vahina Giocante as Mata Hari

Vahina Giocante in the role of Mata Hari

Vahina Giocante as Mata Hari

The film was shot in English

The internationality of the crew dictated their own rules: knowledge of English was an important criterion in the choice of actors.

When I was working on "Mata Hari", I did not have a serious language practice. But I set myself the task of playing in English. I did it this way: first I memorized all the text with which I had to work, then I switched to Russian to understand all the nuances, and then again to English, - said Maxim Matveev in the program "Evening Urgant."

Maxim Matveyev as Vladimir Maslov in the series "Mata Hari"

Maxim Matveev as Vladimir Maslov

Maxim Matveev as Vladimir Maslov

Svetlana Khodchenkova spoke in Serbian

For Svetlana Khodchenkova, the preparatory period for the shootings was especially intense and complex: the actress had to learn how to handle weapons of the early 20th century, and also to speak in Serbian! This girl speaks English and Serbian, she has to run and shoot - I have never had such experience in the movies before, - said Svetlana.

Svetlana Khodchenkova as Zlatka Janic and Maxim Matveev

Maxim Matveev, Svetlana Khodchenkova and Alexander Khoshabaev in the series "Mata Hari".

Viktoriya Isakova keeps a rare thing as a memento..

For the role in the "Mata Hari" series Viktoriya Isakova had to learn horse riding, because she had to partially perform tricks on the horse, before she was replaced by the stuntgirl. According to the actress, she took a few lessons so that during the filming the horse did not feel her fear.

Scenes with my participation were filmed in an old house in Portugal, which was put up for sale. The artists were allowed to take something from there to remember, and I chose a wooden chest. It made the customs officers gag - according to them, all normal people bring brand Port out of this country, and the Russian actress brings a chest! But now he is at my house and reminds me of filming, - said the actress.

Viktoriya Isakova as Lydia Kirievskaya and Alexander Petrov as Mathieu in the TV series "Mata Hari"

 

Christopher Lambert took poison 5 times

One of the key scenes in which Mata Hari gives the poison to Gustav Kramer was filmed in December in a fierce (by Portuguese standards) cold, whereas in reality the events took place in the summer. Actors Vahina Giocante and Christopher Lambert persistently overcome difficulties, again and again entering the frame in light clothing. They did not manage to play the scene at once "perfectly": Lambert took poison, fell into the bushes, then the assistants corrected his make-up, the suit, and he fell again until he finally "died" for the fifth time. All this time, Vahina Giocante was drinking white liquid: the requisitioners, who decided that milk would be suitable as a liquid, eventually had to look for soy, since the actress does not drink usual milk.

Christopher Lambert in the role of Gustav Kramer and Vahina Giocante in the series "Mata Hari" 

Creators compared "Mata Hari" with "Gone with the Wind"

The team of the series, whose budget was 12 million dollars, is confident in its future international success.

We have assembled a very good team, attracted world-class actors - I think Mata Hari will even be able to repeat the success of the film Gone with the Wind, "said one of the filmmakers of the project, Dennis Berry. - The story that we tell, will be interesting to people from different countries, because Mata Hari herself was a woman of peace.

Vahina Giocante in the role of Mata Hari

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