Project Detail

Simon Magus

Synopsis

Simon Magus is the poignant and magical story of an outcast called Simon, who is treated with a mixture of fear, suspicion and guarded affection by the Jewish and Christian inhabitants of a village in 19th century Poland. It is also the story of the village itself, a community in crisis now that the railway has arrived, passing the village by, taking away all its trade, and threatening its future.

Simon has visions and strange dreams, a fantastical view of the world. For some villagers, Simon is a harmless idiot, but in a place where people still believe in angels and charms, to others he is a magician in league with the devil himself.

The crisis comes in the battle to build a railway station and save the village. Maximillian Hase, moneyed, ruthless and determined to succeed, uses Simon's feelings of isolation to his own ends, employing him as a spy to root out his competition in the village's Jewish community.

The Christian Squire, a sensitive and lonely man with a passion for poetry, must be persuaded to allow the station to be built on his land. Dovid, a poor young Jew, realises that an appreciation of poetry is the way to succeed in the railway station bid. Only the city educated Sarah from the Jewish community shares this passion for poetry, but she and the Squire have never yet spoken. Dovid enlists Sarah's help to secure his bid.

Simon is seduced by Hase's bribes and is unwittingly playing a critical role in the battle for the railway. . .

Details

Year: 1999
Type of film: Features
Format: 35mm
Director: Ben Hopkins 1st Feature
Producer: Robert Jones
Director of Photography: Nic Knowland
Principal cast: Noah Taylor, Rutger Hauer
Screen Writer: Ben Hopkins

Genre

Drama

Production Status

Complete

Production Company

Jones Company 59 Lampard Grove London N16 6XA Tel: 020 8444 7211 Fax: 020 8444 1979

Sales Company

Goldwyn Films 10 Stephen Mews London W1P 1PP Tel: 020 7333 8877 Fax: 020 7333 8878

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