Bulgaria’s actors Ivan Nestorov and Simeon Viktorov will act as cardinals in the Italian film "Pope John XXIII". Other Bulgarian actors have also been chosen to play in the film after a video cassette casting has taken place, Radiovision, the Bulgarian partner in the production said, quoted by the Bulgarian Press Agency. The RAI telefilm will be about Angelo Roncalli, Apostolic Delegate to Bulgaria at the time of King Boris III, who was later elected pope assuming the name of Pope John XXIII. Thomas Asner, a popular US actor will play the role of Roncalli as an elder man; the young Roncalli is portrayed by popular Italian actor Massimo Ghini, who was filmed in Bulgaria several years ago. Director Giorgo Capitani and director of photography Luigi Kuveiller are among the famous directors in the Italian telecinema. The script was written by Franco Vanorio, who has done a lot of films in Bulgaria since 1969, including "Aleph" and "Boys on the Wall". Until a week ago the "Pope John XXIII" team filmed in Italy. Now they work at a studio of the Cinema Centre near Sofia, which has been "turned" into the Sistine Chapel. Filming in Bulgaria will be completed in three weeks' time. The team will work in the city of Plovdiv for a couple of days,
too.