The Shell Seekers (2006 film)

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][2]

This article is about the miniseries. For the Hallmark Hall of Fame adaptation, see The Shell Seekers (1989 film).
The Shell Seekers
Directed byPiers Haggard
Written byRosamunde Pilcher (novel)
Brian Finch
Produced byDavid Cunliffe
Alexander Ollig
Rikolt von Gagern
Verena von Heeremann
StarringVanessa Redgrave
Maximilian Schell
Sebastian Koch
Victoria Hamilton
CinematographyTony Imi
Edited byDavid Martin
Music byRichard Blackford
Distributed byZDF
Release date
25 December 2006 (Germany)
Running time
183 min
CountriesGermany
United Kingdom
LanguagesGerman
English

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.[1][3][4]

Cast

Production

The mini-series was shot in 2005 in a range of locations such as Cornwall, London and Wales.[1][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."[1]

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

References
  1. The Shell Seekers Review Variety. 29 April 2008
  2. Hallmark Channel Announces Production Slate of Original Movies for 2008 Futon Critic. 26 March 2008
  3. Rosamunde Pilcher: Die Muschelsucher, Teil 1 SF TV-Programm. 13 April 2009. German
  4. Rosamunde Pilcher: Die Muschelsucher, Teil 2 SF TV-Programm. 13 April 2009. German
  5. The Shell Seekers Cornwall & Devon. Retrieved on 3 September 2010
  6. Filming locations for The Shell Seekers IMDB. Retrieved on 3 September 2010
  7. Awards for The Shell Seekers IMDB. Retrieved on 3 September 2010
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