Historical Series in Development About 17th-Century Icelanders Abducted and Sold into Slavery
There’s a new historical series in development from the Icelandic film production company Sagafilm and Sweden’s LittleBig Productions, which will tell the story of 17th-century Icelanders who were “abducted by Barbary corsairs and sold into slavery in North Africa.”
The series is tentatively titled Salé, “a city on the North African coast that was also a haven for pirates, the series is inspired by true events. It begins in the summer of 1627, when several hundred people in settlements along Iceland’s coast are captured by Barbary privateers under the command of the Dutch pirate Jan Janszoon, more commonly known as Admiral Murat Reis. Among his prisoners are Gunnur, the wife of a young fisherman, and her 12-year-old daughter Gríma. When they are brought to the North African slave markets, mother and daughter are separated, sold to different masters and forced to develop different strategies in order to survive.”
The story is described as a “thrilling tale of love, survival, revenge, and the power of hope.” Sagafilm CEO Hilmar Sigurðsson said in a statement, “This is a story that most Icelanders know but it also has a strong global reference, so it should attract international viewers as well as Icelandic ones.”
LittleBig Prods.’ Anna G. Magnúsdóttir, who created the series with fellow producers Anders Granström and Herbert Gehr, said in a statement, “Aiming for the highest visual quality in all respects, strong storytelling and great acting, our vision and intention is to tell an entertaining, engaging, and compelling fictional story, whose historically true and documented background helps build an authenticity that captures audiences.”
Magnúsdóttir added, “Salé is a dramatic panorama about power, abduction and the loss of home and loved ones. It is about coping in dire circumstances and finding a new life in a foreign culture. We think it is important to bring forth the dramatic but largely forgotten history of European captives and privateers in North Africa during the 17th century, an era which in so many ways shaped the world as we know it today.”
This certainly sounds like it’ll make for an interesting series as it tells a story that I’m not really familiar with.
Source: Variety