- Title: JERUSALEM: JEAN CLAUDE VAN DAMME FILMS HIS LATEST MOVIE IN JERUSALEM "THE ORDER "
- Date: 24th September 2000
- Summary: JERUSALEM (SEPTEMBER 24, 2000) (REUTERS) WIDE LOOKING DOWN ONTO FILM SET OF "THE ORDER" BEING FILMED ON ROOF TOPS ABOVE JERUSALEM SMV SECURITY MAN AND ISRAELI BORDER GUARD WATCHING ACTIVITY SMV VAN DAMME DRESSED AS AN ULTRA-ORTHODOX JEW WORKING ON STUNT ON SET VARIOUS, FILM CREW FILMING VAN DAMME ON SET, VAN DAMME RUNNING UP STAIRS SMV ALESTINIANS WATCHING WIDE OF CROWD LOOKING AT FILM SET SMV VAN DAMME WORKING WITH EXTRA WIDE OF VAN DAMME WORKING ON FILM SET SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) LES WALDON, SCRIPTWRITER, SPEAKING ON SET: It's a beautiful city. There haven't been the kind of feature events that there should be in this city and there are some great stories that tie in with the crusader times and religious, of course you have the three major religions of the times congregating right here at one time in this one small city and so we though it would be a fabulous place to make a film." WIDE OF PALESTINIANS ON ROOFTOPS WATCHING FILMING, ISRAELI BORDER GUARDS WATCHING SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR SHELDON LETTICH SPEAKING ON SET "Well, this movie is what I call an archaeological thriller, Jean Claude Van Damme is playing a bit of a rogue, an art thief, a guy who steals treasures and then sells them. And his father's an archaeologist, actually a very serious dedicated archaeologist doing research on a secret religious cult that's based in Israel. This is a cult that dates back to the date of the Crusaders. Well, the father ends up missing and Jean Claude flies over here to look for him." SMV ISLAMIC CRESCENT ON TOP OF MINARET, PULL OUT TO CROWDS IN MARKET BELOW MINARET (2 SHOTS) VARIOUS, VAN DAMME ON EXERCISE BIKE BETWEEN TAKES (2 SHOTS) SCU SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) JOHN CLAUDE VAN DAMME SPEAKING WHILE TRAINING ON BIKE: I'm doing a bike every day, and training when people have lunch so I don't eat much and I stay in good shape for the movie, so we construct this small gym like that with the bars and the bench and that will stop me to eat, it will cut my hunger. SMV CROWDS OUTSIDE VAN DAMME'S TRAILER VARIOUS , VAN DAMME PRACTISING KICKBOXING (2 SHOTS)
- Embargoed: 9th October 2000 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: JERUSALEM
- City:
- Country: Israel
- Reuters ID: LVA2ASO6V4OBD9RE1AD2KW0ME17K
- Story Text: Actor Jean Claude Van Damme can hardly be recognized in a movie being shot in the ancient centre of Jerusalem's Old City, he appears complete with beard and ringlets in the garb of an ultra-Orthodox Jew. But when the beard comes off and Van Damme gets down to some on-set training, there is no doubt that the man dubbed The Muscles from Brussels is in town.
It's the Old City in East Jerusalem, but these Palestinians on the rooftops are not fighting off Jewish settlers. They're watching an ultra-Orthodox Jew near the Western (Wailing) wall perform some highly unusual antics, surrounded by walls of lights and hordes of extras, grips, trainers, and security agents.
The reason for all the excitement: the ultra-Orthodox Jew in question is actually Jean Claude Van Damme, martial arts master, in disguise.
The spotlight on Jerusalem has moved for the day to this film set deep in the heart of East Jerusalem.
That's where Van Damme, growling and sweating and clad as an ultra-Orthodox Jew, is shooting his new film The Order on the ancient stone rooftops of the town where Jesus was crucified.
The Muscles of Brussels, bearded and bouncing off the walls of the ancient city, is kickboxing his way into the heart of dozens of Arab boys who strain for a glimpse of him from tops of nearby houses in the crowded city.
Script writer Les Waldon explained why Jerusalem.
It's a beautiful city. There haven't been the kind of feature events that there should be in this city and there are some great stories that tie in with the crusader times and religious, of course you have the three major religions of the times congregating right here at one time in this one small city and so we though it would be a fabulous place to make a film, he explained.
Director Sheldon Lettich explained the plot: Well, this movie is what I call an archaeological thriller.
Jean Claude Van Damme is playing a bit of a rogue, an art thief, a guy who steals treasures and then sells them. And his father's an archaeologist, actually a very serious dedicated archaeologist doing research on a secret religious cult that's based in Israel. This is a cult that dates back to the date of the Crusaders. Well, the fatherup missing and Jean Claude flies over here to look for him AND? The rest you'll have to catch when the movie is released.
Between takes Van Damme threads his way through teenage fans and the bustling market of Arab East Jerusalem outside the city walls to work out in a specially-built exercise room as well as giving ad-hoc displays of kick-boxing, which helps him stay at an ideal weight during filming, much to the delight of his fans. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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