Peter Greenaway'sNightwatching,about Rembrandt's most famous painting, will start shooting in location in Poland and Wales from Sept 4.

Martin Freeman, known forhis roles in The Office and The Hitchhiker's Guide ToThe Galaxy, will play Rembrandt, and the supporting cast includesEva Birthistle, Jodhi May,Emily Holmes and Natalie Press. The film follows a "tale of conspiracy, lustand murder" behind the characters in Rembrandt's Nightwatchingpainting. This year marks the 400th year of the Dutch painter's birth.

The UK Film Council's NewCinema Fund is giving an award of $571,364 (£300,000) to the project.

Greenaway's longtime producer Kees Kasander is working withco-producer Carlo Dusi of the UK's Aria Films. The pair just worked together on Kill Kill Faster Faster.

"At the heart of thisfeature is a truly thrilling story, and having witnessed recently the world'sobsession with conspiracy stories, it will be very interesting to see how theytake to the commercial side of Peter's filmmaking," Kasandersays.

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