Chinese TV does series on early Jesuit Missionary

Kuangchi Program Service (KPS) is now involved in its second series for China TV on the history of the Jesuit mission in China. The current production presents the life of Adam Schall von Bell (1591 - 1666), who was born of noble parents in Cologne, Germany, and joined the Society of Jesus in Rome in 1611. In 1618 he left for China, reaching Macao in 1619. The Jesuit mathematician became the trusted counsellor of the Shunzhi emperor of the Qing dynasty, was created a mandarin, and held an important post in connection with the mathematical school. His position enabled him to procure from the emperor permission for the Jesuits to build churches and to preach throughout the country.

The dramatized segments were taped in a huge indoor/outdoor film studio near Beijing. Filip Klepacki, a former Polish Jesuit who was in Taiwan for a year, is playing the part of Schall. It is very demanding work, 12-14 hours a day, often with dialogue in Mandarin. This series has more dramatized segments than the first one that KPS on Xu Guangqi and Matteo Ricci ; there is more spoken dialogue in order to give the viewers a more intimate portrait of Schall.

Philip Klepacki as Adam Schall von Bell

Filming the Qing Emperor in his throne room.