Mark Murphy, Director: Casanova’s Love Letters

Casanova’s Love Letters is a dramatized documentary series that provides new insights into the life of Giacomo Casanova, a cleric, musician, lover and spy, and a true son of the renaissance.

Casanova led a fascinating and tempestuous life, accruing and losing vast fortunes. He is said to have invented the concept of a national lottery, when not fighting duels with counts and, of course, indulging in what turned out to be the most famous love life of all time.

One of the most famous characters in Italian history, Casanova was a man of many talents. Having travelled extensively, he was an investor, diplomat and knight. His parents were actors, with their work taking them far from home for extended periods of time. In their absence, Giacomo Casanova was raised by his maternal grandmother.

After graduating in law and falling in love with the sister of his tutor, who taught him the art of seduction, Casanova became a violinist, playing at a theatre in Venice. Over the years he built and lost his fortune several times. In his autobiography, History de ma vie, Casanova shares the story of his life, cataloguing all of his adventures – including details of his romantic liaisons with around 120 women. He also recounts meetings with Catherine II of Russia, Frederick II of Prussia, and Voltaire, Rousseau and Mozart in the book.

Casanova’s Love Letters is a television series based upon a little-known collection of intimate letters penned by Casanova, who bequeathed them to the library of Duchov Palace, where he was residing when he died at the age of 73. In 1913, Bernhard Marr catalogued Casanova’s letters. However, following the outbreak of World War I, the letters were again forgotten.

Casanova’s letters were never commercially published and were instead merely used as a tool by researchers. The documents contain communications between Casanova and his multiple lovers. The series Casanova’s Love Letters decodes Casanova’s secret language, follows his daring escape to Russia, and tells the story of a mysterious woman who secretly cared for him.

About Mark Murphy

Mark Murphy, director, was proud to collaborate on the piece, which covered Casanova’s little-reported later years, providing a unique perspective on his life. 

Mr Murphy has worked in numerous high-profile productions, including the ‘unromantic comedy’ For Love or Money and the movie The Comedian’s Guide to Survival starring James Buckley, Omid Djalili, Paul Kay, Mark Heap, Jimmy Carr, Kevin Eldon and Gilbert Gottfried. 

Mark Murphy directed and produced Casanova’s Love Letters, with the six-part docu-drama series starring Patrick Bergin. Additional footage was later filmed to make a two-hour film, which added Armand Assante to the cast. The film version was called Casanova’s Last Stand.