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CEMETERY
The cemetery in the mountains near Neapoli where Melina is buried.
Andrew Morgan (Assistant Director) recalls "We used a real grave and although the family of the
dead person agreed for us to take out the photograph, oil, etc. of the
departed and replace it with our own, it was necessary for the Orthodox
Archbishop to give his OK.
Together with Petros (the Greek production
manager), we were given an audience with the man in his palace. The most
revolting cakes were passed round and as it is bad manners to refuse, I bit
into this disgusting concoction and immediately wanted to vomit. I simply
couldn't swallow it and spent the entire interview with it stuck in the back
of my mouth. I shall never forget it.
Thankfully we were given permission so I suppose it was worth it!!"
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COURTYARD
The courtyard of the Moni Keras Kardiotisas Monastery.
Haldane goes here in episode one to reflect upon his past
and his first meeting with Annika.
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KARDIOTISAS MONASTERY CHURCH
The Kardiotisas monastery
church where Annika lights a candle for Haldane in the final episode
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CHURCH OF ST. CONSTANTINE & HELEN
The church of St. Constantine and Helen in
Elounda where the confrontation takes place between the
Englishman Hebden and the old man from Sfakia in episode two.
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BABIS SPIRIDAKIS' OFFICE
Babis Spiridakis' office in the 25th August Street in Heraklion.
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THE VILLAGE OF DAFNI
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Longshot of the village
(in actual fact the village of Fourni, about 15 km. from Elounda)
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Streets featured and the church in which Annika 'was christened and her parents were married'.
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THE FUNERAL OF ANTONIS VIGLIS
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The little church yard where Antonis Viglis "was buried" under the watchful eye
of the Dafni villagers. Anna says it is in Fourni like the rest of the
locations from that episode but a bit off the beaten track
"which is probably why we missed it last time.
Take a look at the DVD and you will see it has
hardly changed at all, even the little gate is still exactly the same." |
Anna's photographs set another Ferryfan, Rinus Kiel, thinking about the
location of Annika's house in Bird's novelisation, which, surprisingly (considering he wrote it after the filming), was not necessarily the same.
"We liked Anna Pereboom's pictures of the Ferryman locations very much. We also dined at the taverna (in April 2000), and found that the composer
of the tunes was an uncle of the current taverna owner and lives/lived? in Aghios Nikolaos. Another relative of Yannis Markopoulos owns a record shop
there where we found the original sound track on CD. We also found the house where Haldane lived in Elounda.
Concerning Annika's house: Anna found the house where the filming was done, but we think that is not the house spoken about in the book of the series,
because that house must be some way above Kera and probably just past the northern entrance to the Lassithi plain. When Haldane goes there for the
first time he climbs the (still) very steep winding mountain road going there en passes the monastery of Kera. We were there too and asked about
the war, but there was no memory about, or the monks didn't want to speak about it. (In the book Haldane had the same experience!)
Another clue that Annika's house is on or near Lassithi is in the fatal ride of Nikos and Elena. They come down by that same dangerous road that still leads
from Malia to Lassithi. So, Annika's house - as described in the book - must be on Lassithi, but unfortunately we could not find it.
Maybe some other time."
Rinus also sent me a map, saying:
"On the map I encircled the Lassithi plain, and indicated two roads. The red road is the one Haldane took when he first met Annika.
You then enter the plain via a mountain pass (marked encircled 1). The road passes between two mountain 'shoulders' or ridges, upon
which a lot of windmills are standing.
There is, however, another road, the black one, probably used by Annika when she travelled to her business, her mother in Neapoli
and Elounda. It is probably this road, which was taken by Nikos, Elena and Alexis on that fatal trip. This road is slightly less
exciting than the red one, but has a couple of breathtaking hairpins in it. So, opportunity enough for problems. And even then, in 2000, the curves
were not secured in any way.
The location, then, of Annika's house, as envisioned by Michael Bird in the book,
must be on the northern half of the plain. It would take a lot of research
if someone wanted to locate that house, which will be probably never done.
However, if we visit Crete in the future, I hope to dedicate some time to the task."
Not be outdone, Anna adds, "the taverna, as described in the book isn't at all like the one used for the film. In the book it's
described as an attractive old building with a large garden on all sides with citrus trees. I'd hardly call a square concrete slab an attractive
building and there's no room for a large garden, now or twenty five years ago, so that would mean Michael Bird had something very different in mind
when he described the taverna."
"Artistic licence" is a great thing!
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English Location (Maldon, in Essex)
The English location featured in episode one, in the scene between Alan Haldane and his brother David,
is often overlooked and I am grateful to website visitor Peter Holohan who recognised it.
Peter says "Although, due to the rain, the background view from inside the cottage is
somewhat murky, it looked pretty familiar to me right away, as being a lock
and behind it the outline of lock-keepers house near to where I live. On closer inspection I saw
there are some pictures of Thames barges on the wall. When it gets to the point where they leave the cottage I was
then 100% certain that the scene was filmed at
Heybridge
Basin in Essex. The area is pretty much the same now, as it's in a conservation area.
Lock Hill is where the cottage (with that distinctive front porch) is."
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