This summer Riga became a shooting set for the six-part German mini-series "Sisi" that tells the story of the last Austro-Hungarian Empress Elizabeth or Sisi, produced by Story House Pictures GmbH.
"It was a great pleasure to work in such a fantastic climate with such sincere and broad-minded people. The successful cooperation between Latvian and German film professionals has allowed us to do a great deal of work at fantastic speed. From tailor-made costumes to bed chambers, creating everything necessary for this project to become possible.”, says Director Sven Bohse about the experience in Latvia. For the needs of filming, several hundred 19th century costumes have been created by Latvian masters, which reflect life from the farmstead to the palace of the rulers.
Streets of Riga Old town played Vienna in the 19th century, Latvian national opera house, The House of Latvian Society, The Large and The Small Guild houses, and Riga Film Studio helped to recreate castles and palaces of Austria and Hungary. Filming locations in Latvia also include Rundale palace, Cesvaine castle, and Straupe castle.
It was a great pleasure to work in such a fantastic climate with such sincere and broad-minded people. The successful cooperation between Latvian and German film professionals has allowed us to do a great deal of work at fantastic speed. Sven Bohse
Production services in Latvia were provided by Cinevilla Films and the shooting of mini-series was supported by the Riga Film Fund and the National Film Centre of Latvia.
