By popular demand, extra screenings have been added to an event celebrating the 25th anniversary of a Somerset-shot film.
Tickets are now available for showings of ‘Pandaemonium’ at 12noon and 5pm on Sunday 27th September at Hestercombe House, near Taunton, after the two Saturday screenings sold out.
The special event, organised by Screen Somerset and the Hestercombe Gardens Trust, marks 25 years since the release of the film made by acclaimed director and Somerset resident, Julien Temple.
Tickets cost £10 (plus booking fee) and include entry to Hestercombe House and gardens. To book. visit Screening | Pandaemonium (Cert 12) — Somerset Film
An unconventional period drama, Pandaemonium is an account of the time poets Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth spent in Somerset, starring John Hannah as Wordsworth and Linus Roache as Coleridge.
Shot largely in Somerset, it is a great showcase for the landscape of the Quantock Hills and Exmoor which inspired the poets to some of their greatest works including Coleridge’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla Khan.
A key scene was filmed at the Pear Pond at Hestercombe and the screenings will take place in the wood-panelled dining room in the main house, the first time the space has been used for such an event.
As well as Hestercombe, the film shot at Quantock locations including Wills Neck, Kilve Beach, Nether Stowey and West Bagborough, and Exmoor’s Holnicote Estate and Hodder’s Combe. Wookey Hole caves were also used.
The special screenings have been organised to celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary and help promote the magnificent Somerset landscape to potential visitors.
Representatives from the Quantock Hills National Landscape, Visit Exmoor, Friends of Coleridge, and Coleridge Cottage will be at the event to promote the area as a place to visit and celebrate its literary connections.
This will include highlighting The Coleridge Way – a walking route that runs for 51 miles between Nether Stowey and Lynmouth, across the Quantock Hills and Exmoor.
Councillor Mike Rigby, Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Economic Development Planning and Assets, said:
It’s exciting to see the enthusiasm there has been for this event and to be able to offer more people the opportunity to see a great film in a wonderful setting – just a stone’s throw from where scenes were shot.
It’s a chance to help bring some new visitors to the area and introduce them to this fantastic part of our county.
Hestercombe House is also hosting the ‘Julien Temple – A Life in Film’ exhibition. Assembled by Somerset Film – of which Julien is a patron – and previously appearing at The Engine Room in Bridgwater, the exhibition is a unique collection of paraphernalia celebrating the work of the pioneering director of documentaries, rockumentaries, music videos and feature films.
Screen Somerset, Somerset Council’s film office, supports, encourages and celebrates filming in the county in recognition of the economic and wider benefits it can bring. Last year, film and TV production brought an estimated £6.6m of spend to the county.
Released in September 2001, Pandaemonium also stars Samantha Morton as Coleridge’s wife Sara, Emily Woof as Wordsworth sister Dorothy, with a supporting cast including Andy Serkis, Dexter Fletcher and Sam West.
For more information about The Coleridge Way visit www.visit-exmoor.co.uk/coleridge-way
For more information about Hestercombe House and the Hestercombe House and Gardens Trust, an independent charity, visit www.hestercombe.com
