- Title: Would-be 'witchers' battle with occult forces in Polish castle
- Date: 18th October 2019
- Summary: MOSZNA, POLAND (OCTOBER 10, 2019) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) 'WITCHER SCHOOL' PARTICIPANT FROM ITALY, FUOCO MARIA BALDUZZI, SAYING: "The reason why I love it is the atmosphere and also the fact that it touches very human themes, very dark themes but very human. And it kind of explores the way that we empathise as human beings by taking a character that is not a human being and the way that we approach him, in this case Geralt but witchers in general. So the ways that humans behave with non-humans to me speaks volumes about how we behave with humans in real life." MEMBER OF 'WITCHER SCHOOL' TEAM POURING LIQUID INTO CAULDRON AND WAVING AWAY SMOKE DURING ALCHEMY CLASS CHICKEN FOOT HANGING TEAM MEMBER POURING LIQUID INTO CAULDRON AND WAVING AWAY SMOKE (SOUNDBITE) (English) 'WITCHER SCHOOL' PARTICIPANT FROM ITALY, FUOCO MARIA BALDUZZI, SAYING: "I'm excited about the TV show, I'm very curious what they do with it. I know that Netflix can produce very high quality things so I'm hopeful. I trust their work so I know that it's going be definitely interesting." BIRD FLYING ON WEATHERVANE ORGANISERS AND PARTICIPANTS STANDING WITH FLAMING TORCHES (NIGHT SHOT) PARTICIPANTS LOOKING ON (NIGHT SHOT) VARIOUS OF ORGANISERS STANDING WITH FLAMING TORCHES (NIGHT SHOT) FLAMING TORCHES (NIGHT SHOT)
- Embargoed: 1st November 2019 10:42
- Keywords: fantasy books and games Andrzej Sapkowski Moszna Witcher game Witcher school live action role play cosplay Poland Witcher fans Book series video game series
- Location: MOSZNA, POLAND
- City: MOSZNA, POLAND
- Country: Poland
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA003B1MITKP
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: As anticipation builds for the launch of streaming giant Netflix's 'The Witcher' series later this year, fans of the book series of the same name gathered at a castle in the author's native Poland to take part in a live-action role-play game.
The adventures of Gerald of Rivia, a 'witcher' with supernatural powers tasked with hunting and slaying monsters and the undead, started as a series of books by Andrzej Sapkowski in the 1990s and found fans across the world, boosted by an award-winning video game trilogy.
Polish and international players have come to 'Witcher School' events at castles in Poland's south west since 2015, to role-play as trainee witchers in stories created with the help of dozens of organizers, including writers, costume designers, make-up artists and experts in sword-fighting and blacksmithing.
"For three days you just forget who you are entirely in your life and just leave it all behind, literally be somebody else," said Fuoco Maria Balduzzi, an Italian filmmaker and fan of the series.
In the game, players create their own characters who learn to banish evil creatures and spirits using swords and sorcery over four days - all in full costume.
Balduzzi, who traveled from London for the game, plays both male and female characters when role-playing. This time she has taken on the role of a young nobleman sent to learn to be a witcher by his family.
Witcher School organiser Piotr Kucharski said the scenario in the game takes place 200 years before the events of Sapkowski's books and is told in episodes, with players often returning to develop their characters and find out how the story has evolved.
Speaking of the upcoming Netflix TV series, Balduzzi said she was excited and curious to see it. "I know it's definitely going to be interesting," she said.
'The Witcher', starring Henry Cavill in the title role, is expected to premiere on Netflix before the end of 2019.
(Production: Natalia Dobryszycka, Dominik Starosz, Lewis Macdonald) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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