With it's spectacular coastline, idyllic villages, wild moorland, great houses and exotic gardens Cornwall is the ideal background for feature filming. It is for these reasons, that film crews from all over Europe come here very often, particularly the Germans. A lot of German speaking visitors know Cornwall before they ever set foot into the county. This is thanks to the bestselling author Rosamunde Pilcher and the German television station ZDF, that has adapted her novels and short stories for more than ten years. Cornwall and Devon have become a must see visit destination for other nationalities, too, as the films have been sold to 28 countries. Not only did the films give local tourism a boost, millions of pounds are spent on the production. Imagine about 35 crew and 15 actors living, eating and shopping in the region! Filming also creates about 18 jobs for local people who work as technicians or extras. For her contribution to tourism Rosamunde Pilcher was given the British Tourist Award in 2002. In the same year she received an OBE by the Queen.
Part of the success is due to the county itself, which lives up to the high expectations. It certainly looks like in the films – as nearly all of them were shot on location. And it certainly matches the descriptions in Pilcher’s novels as she was actually born on the north coast of Cornwall. Even though she lived in Scotland near Dundee for a long time, her inspiration, the characters and stories are based on her home county.
German television has shot more than 60 Pilcher films: it all started in 1993 with a film called “Day of the Storm” and there is no end in sight. The director Dieter Kehler, who can call himself a Pilcher veteran after directing about 20 films, last shot “Magic Night” in autumn 2005. In the next few years they will continue to produce about three or four films per year. Some will be shot at well known, some at brand new locations. These films will be modelled on unpublished short stories of the famous novelist.
If you were to sit down for the next Pilcher movie night, be aware: Only reality is more beautiful than the films. Wouldn 't it be a triumph to recognize Porthleven as the windy fishing village and harbour from the film “Above the Clouds”? What a satisfaction to stroll along the sandy bay, where the beach scenes of “The Empty House” were shot. What a surprise to visit Prideaux Place and know it from “Cliffs of Love” and other films. And what a pleasure to have a pint or two in the cosy Sloop Inn of St Ives that features in “Another View”. There are so many locations in Cornwall that are connected to Rosamunde Pilcher, that you will never run out of ideas. If you should tire of the hunt, just enjoy the landscape and scenery, go hiking, biking, surfing or kite surfing. But if you follow in the tracks of Rosamunde Pilcher you will find that a bit of the idyll rubs off onto your holiday. Try it!
Information provided by www.visit-westcornwall.com
