The Shell Seekers (2006 film) explained

The Shell Seekers
Director:Piers Haggard
Producer:David Cunliffe
Alexander Ollig
Rikolt von Gagern
Verena von Heeremann
Starring:Vanessa Redgrave
Maximilian Schell
Sebastian Koch
Victoria Hamilton
Music:Richard Blackford
Cinematography:Tony Imi
Editing:David Martin
Distributor:ZDF
Runtime:183 min
Country:Germany
United Kingdom
Language:German
English

The Shell Seekers (German: Die Muschelsucher) is a 2006 mini-series starring Academy Award-winners, Vanessa Redgrave and Maximilian Schell. The British-German co-production was directed by Piers Haggard. It is an adaptation of Rosamunde Pilcher's 1987 novel of the same name and premiered on Germany's ZDF on 25 December 2006. It was screened in the United States on the Hallmark Channel on 3 May 2008.[1]

Plot

Set in the 1980s, Penelope (Redgrave) is seen to be recovering from a heart attack. Through a series of flashbacks, we learn she is the daughter of Lawrence (Schell), an acclaimed painter. Her children attempt to convince her to sell her father's paintings and ease their financial burdens. As Penelope continues to recover she reflects on her life, as a disillusioned wife and briefly enthralled lover. She embarks on a trip to the Mediterranean where she encounters Antonia (Stumph), whom she meets up with later on in the book, who becomes a woman in the grip of a passionate romance, something Penelope realises she briefly enjoyed.[2] [3] [4]

Cast

Production

The mini-series was shot in 2005 in a range of locations such as Cornwall, London and Wales.[2] [5] [6]

Reception

Variety made comparisons between the series and Redgrave's 2007 film, Atonement. The magazine praised her casting, as Redgrave "delivers a fine, flinty performance". It concluded that "the melancholy ending caps it with a satisfying exclamation point."[2]

Redgrave was awarded Best Actress in a Television Film at the Shanghai International TV Festival.[7]

Notes and References

  1. http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20080326hallmark02 Hallmark Channel Announces Production Slate of Original Movies for 2008
  2. https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117936950.html?categoryid=32&cs=1 The Shell Seekers Review
  3. http://www.tvprogramm.sf.tv/details/af21b484-8a8b-4ed9-a5ad-5fb92cfbd3b3 Rosamunde Pilcher: Die Muschelsucher, Teil 1
  4. http://www.tvprogramm.sf.tv/details/68532270-10ee-47cf-af8b-1f64d6c6ba98 Rosamunde Pilcher: Die Muschelsucher, Teil 2
  5. http://www.cornwall-devon.com/public/308_The+Shell+Seekers.html The Shell Seekers
  6. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758720/locations Filming locations for The Shell Seekers
  7. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758720/awards Awards for The Shell Seekers