Tom Hiddleston reflects on ruins of Pompeii with his post detailing the ancient city

Mumbai, July 16 (IANS) Actor Tom Hiddleston has shared insights into his docu-series ‘Pompeii: Out of Time with Tom Hiddleston’. On Thursday, the actor took to his Instagram, and shared a series of BTS pictures from the docu-series.

He also penned a long note detailing the history of the preserved ancient Roman city near Naples, Italy. He also heaped praise on the director of the series

He wrote, “On the day of the London Premiere of POMPEII: OUT OF TIME at the British Museum, I just want to salute this man, Tom Barbor-Might. Our director, showrunner, co-writer, steward and guide, a guide through time, and through the lives of the ordinary Romans caught up in the extraordinary moment of the volcanic eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79 AD. Tom has worked tirelessly on this project for years. With such respect for history, for the expertise of archaeologists, classicists, geoscientists, psychologists and ancient historians, with such attention to detail, with such rigour and such care”.

The actor lauded him for his empathy, and his passion to bring the story of people of Pompeii to life.

He further mentioned, “All supported by his profound empathy for those real people of Pompeii, and honouring them with extraordinary imagination and creative energy in bringing their stories back to life. Our series, a story 2,000 years old, is propulsive, immersive and emotional. It’s a new way of telling a story we think we know. To walk through Pompeii is to feel as though you’re travelling back in time. To stand in the ancient city, preserved by volcanic ash and pumice for almost two millennia, is to feel the 2,000 years between then & now compress and collapse. Those buildings contain the memories of our Western European ancestors. You can touch the past. See how they lived, how they loved”.

In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius violently erupted, burying Pompeii in volcanic ash. This rapid burial froze the city in time, uniquely preserving its buildings, art and the people.

He went on, “They were families, farmers & fishermen. Mothers and sons, business owners, soldiers, and friends. We are reminded that we are bound forever to a thread of human history which connects us all. At every turn, our telling of the story of Pompeii asks us to pause, rewind, reflect, rethink, replay, rework, reimagine. The process of writing history is itself a process of redrafting. Redrawing the picture, as new pieces of the jigsaw puzzle, new fragments of evidence, become available. So much of the heart of the show comes from Tom. He never forgot that Pompeii is a story about people. Real people, ordinary people”.

“He wanted to honour them and their lives. His heart and compassion infused every creative decision and inspired every member of our cast and crew. Thank you for your leadership, dedication, commitment & care. Proud of this one. Can’t wait”, he added.

–IANS

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