Robert M. Edsel knew 'The Monuments Men' will be a film

Author Robert M. Edsel says he knew that "The Monuments Men" will be adapted into a film even before he started writing the book.

"A film was on my mind before I started writing the book. I had already started thinking how the story of 'The Monuments Men' was a great teaching story, a great instrument to help recover the works of art that are still missing," Edsel said in a statement.

"But no matter how good a book is, nothing reaches a worldwide audience the way a feature film can. And great films are stories based on people. That is the path to connect with audiences around the world. So I needed to tell the people story," he added.

"The Monuments Men", which released in February 2014, was directed by George Clooney and featured Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Hugh Bonneville and Cate Blanchett.

The preparations that went into the making of "The Monuments Men" will be showcased in the upcoming film festival "True Stories", which will be aired on Star Movies Select HD starting from April 3.

"I had this fateful meeting with one of 'The Monuments Men' who was 98 years old, a man named S. Lane Faison, and it was for me kind of an anointing, because I came away from that meeting just knowing that this is what I was supposed to do with the next phase of my life," Edsel said.

--IANS

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