The new FX mini-series Black Narcissus is based on the 1939 novel of the same title by Rumer Godden. It’s about a group of nuns who set out to convert an old Himalayan palace known as Mopu into a convent, school and medical clinic called St. Faith. The palace which was used to groom a harem for a Indian general is set high on a cliff in the Himalayas.
In the series premiere episode, the protagonist Sister Clodagh (Gemma Arterton, The Girl With All the Gifts) meets handsome WWI veteran Mr. Dean (Alessandro Nivola, Face/Off) who tells her, “You shouldn’t have come here.” The nuns discover that the palace is haunted by those who previously resided there and are tempted by human flesh.
Deborah Kerr starred in the 1947 film Black Narcissus which was shot primarily at Pinewood Studios in England.
Filming of the 2020 mini-series Black Narcissus also took place at the legendary Pinewood Studios and in the town of Jomsom in Nepal, which is situated at an altitude of about 8,900 feet.
Jomsom is the starting point to the scenic trekking routes in Upper Mustang and Manang and it’s near Muktinath, the famous pilgrimage site for Buddhists and Hindus who believe it is a sacred place of salvation; that bathing in the waters there guarantees salvation after death.
Note: In the TV mini-series, Oscar winner Jim Broadbent (Iris) plays Father Roberts and Mother Dorothea is portrayed by the late great Dame Diana Rigg (The Avengers) who died om September 10, 2020.
Black Narcissus airs Mondays at 8 pm on FX.
