Martin Scorsese Set To Shoot Ancient Shiprecks Doc

Martin Scorsese is set to shoot a documentary in Sicily about ancient shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea that will bring the Oscar-winning director back to Polizzi Generosa, the small town where his paternal grandparents were born.

The untitled project is based on research by U.S. archaeologist Lisa Briggs, who is a professor and researcher at Cranfield University in England. Briggs is specialised in terrestrial and underwater archaeology, specifically in the use of scientific tools including DNA analysis on artifacts recovered from ancient shipwreck sites, to reconstruct stories of ships, sailors, cargoes, and maritime trade in the ancient world. 

“We’ve welcomed the initiative with enthusiasm,” Francesco Paolo Scarpinato, who is Sicily’s councillor for cultural heritage, told Italian news agency ANSA. He added that the island’s authorities are “making all pertinent sites and archaeological parks available, considering the relevance of the project.”

Several other sources have confirmed that shooting is expected to start this summer on Scorsese’s high-end doc which is being co-produced by the Sicily’s regional culture department and the director’s Sikelia Productions shingle in tandem with Sunk Costs Productions of the U.K.; with U.S. producer Chad A. Verdi (“The Irishman”); and Los Angeles-based LBI Entertainment.

Scorsese’s ancient shipwreck doc will be shot in Sicilian terrestrial and underwater locations…