Photographing Fairies (1997)

Director:

Nick Willing

Writers:

Chris Harrald (written by)
Steve Szilagyi (book)
(more)

Release Date:

19 September 1997 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Mystery

Plot:

Photographer Charles Castle is numbed with grief following the death of his beautiful bride. He goes off to war...

Plot Keywords:

Grief | Photographer | Photograph | Fairy | Death

Awards:

5 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Toby Stephens	...	Charles Castle
Emily Woof	...	Linda
Ben Kingsley	...	Reverend Templeton
Frances Barber	...	Beatrice Templeton
Philip Davis	...	Roy (as Phil Davis)
Hannah Bould	...	Clara Templeton
Miriam Grant	...	Ana Templeton
Rachel Shelley	...	Mrs. Anne-Marie Castle
Edward Hardwicke	...	Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Clive Merrison	...	Gardner
Stephen Churchett	...	Mr. Dawson
Mary Healey	...	Mrs. Dawson
Maggie Wells	...	Mrs. Hoopdriver
Richenda Carey	...	Fierce Woman
Jeremy Young	...	Des
Michael Culkin	...	Cole
Donald Douglas	...	Judge
James Greene	...	Minister
Neville Phillips	...	Hotel Proprietor
Stuart Richman	...	Red-Cheeked Man
Michelle Fine	...	Medium
Bernard Gallagher	...	Doctor at Vicarage
Gabrielle Cowburn	...	Elsie
Howard Lee	...	Policeman
David Sterne	...	Prison Warder
Tim Crouch	...	Prison Warder

Directed by
Nick Willing

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Chris Harrald		written by
Steve Szilagyi		book
Nick Willing		written by

Produced by
Michele Camarda	....	producer
Alan Greenspan	....	executive producer
Mike Newell	....	executive producer
Fonda Snyder	....	co-producer
Larry Weinberg	....	co-producer (as Lawrence Weinberg)

Original Music by
Simon Boswell

Cinematography by
John de Borman		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Sean Barton

Casting by
Susie Figgis

Production Design by
Laurence Dorman

Art Direction by
Philip Elton

Set Decoration by
Shirley Lixenberg

Costume Design by
Hazel Pethig

Makeup Department
Mark English	....	assistant hair stylist
Christine Greenwood	....	makeup artist
Rupert Simon	....	additional hair stylist
Rupert Simon	....	additional makeup artist
Anne Spiers	....	hair designer
Anne Spiers	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Wendy Broom	....	production manager: second unit
Heinz Dill	....	production manager: second unit
Jo Homewood	....	production manager
Chris Nixon	....	post-production supervisor: second unit
David Shanks	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sean Clayton	....	third assistant director
John Dodds	....	first assistant director
Mark J. Ingram	....	second assistant director
Guy Travers	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Les Andrews	....	stand-by props
Robert Betts	....	stand-by painter (as Bob Betts)
Eamon Cann	....	construction carpenter
John Cole	....	carpenter
Derek Ede	....	stagehand
Ian Fryer	....	dressing props
Charlie Gaynor	....	construction carpenter
Robert Harvey	....	storyboard artist
David Haynes	....	painter
Jane Henwood	....	property buyer
Christopher Higson	....	stand-by carpenter (as Chris Higson)
Danny Hunter	....	property master
David Lowen	....	carpenter (as Dave Lowen)
Poppy Luard	....	assistant art director
Steve Marquiss	....	painter
Charlie McGinlay	....	painter
Colin Mutch	....	chargehand stand-by props
Brian Neighbour	....	construction manager
Dave Pearce	....	chargehand carpenter
Albert Roper	....	supervising painter
Adrian Start	....	painter
Emma Tauber	....	art department assistant
Jessie Walker-Stewart	....	art department runner (as Jess Walker Stewart)
Brian West	....	props storeman
Steve Williamson	....	painter
Jess Alexander	....	art department runner (uncredited)

Sound Department
Julie Ankerson	....	foley artist
Kevin Brazier	....	sound designer
Peter Eusebe	....	sound maintenance engineer
John Fewell	....	foley artist
Stephen Griffiths	....	sound designer
Nick Henry	....	sound assistant
Mark Holding	....	sound recordist
Dave Humphries	....	dubbing mixer
Bradley Kendrick	....	sound assistant
Alan Sallabank	....	assistant dubbing mixer
Trevor Swanscott	....	adr recordist
Trevor Swanscott	....	foley recordist

Special Effects by
Dave Crownshaw	....	snow effects supervisor
John Dempsey	....	special effects trainee
Ross King	....	special effects senior technician
John Markwell	....	special effects supervisor
John Mason	....	snow effects technician
Mark E. Raymond	....	snow effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Sally Clayton	....	digital artist
Paddy Eason	....	digital effects designer
Dan Glass	....	visual effects designer
Pete Hanson	....	studio manager
Ray Lau	....	visual effects editor
Bettina McCall	....	visual effects editor
Dennis Michelson	....	digital effects: CFC
Joe Pavlo	....	digital artist
Rachael Penfold	....	visual effects producer
Tim Quarman	....	digital input: CFC
Sandra Roach	....	digital effects artist
Geraldine Swayne	....	digital painter
Gavin Toomey	....	digital painter
Tim Wellspring	....	visual effects production assistant
Trevor Young	....	film recording
Kevin Phelan	....	scanning and recording producer: CFC (uncredited)

Stunts
Dave Broadfoot	....	stunt rigger
Dave Broadfoot	....	stunt wireman
Glenn Marks	....	stunts
Lex Milloy	....	stunts
Rex Reddick	....	stunts
Kevin Sommerville	....	stunt wireman
Chris Webb	....	stunt coordinator
Rod Woodruff	....	stunt coordinator
Drew Meldon	....	aerial stunt rigger (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Bateson	....	camera trainee
Peter Casey	....	generator operator
Rosalyn Ellis	....	clapper loader
Dave Escoffery	....	electrician (as David Escoffery)
Nil Henchoz	....	gaffer: second unit
Luis Lazo	....	still photographer
Alan Martin	....	gaffer
Jason Martin	....	best boy
Mark Milsome	....	focus puller
Chris Plevin	....	camera operator
Greg Read	....	electrician
Robin Stone	....	camera grip
Roger Tooley	....	Steadicam operator
Paul Wood	....	electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Hilary Ball	....	wardrobe assistant
Sophie Cowood	....	wardrobe trainee
Philip Lester	....	wardrobe supervisor
Phill Tarling	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Mike Fraser	....	negative cutter
Ray Lau	....	first assistant editor: second unit

Music Department
Terry Davies	....	conductor
Terry Davies	....	orchestrator
Geoff Foster	....	score recordist
Christopher Ross	....	musician: piano solo
Paul Talkington	....	music coordinator

Other crew
Wendy Broom	....	production coordinator
Catherine Charlton	....	dialect coach
Jo Chate	....	assistant location manager
Sam Davies	....	assistant to director
Cristina De Vajay	....	production assistant: second unit
Jon Duncan	....	assistant accountant
Mike Fraser	....	rushes transfer
Pat Garrett	....	choreographer
Alan Gavin	....	production accountant
Simon Giles	....	title designer
Freddy Grossniklaus	....	location assistant: second unit
Alex Heffes	....	assistant: Simon Boswell
Michael Higson	....	stand-in
Hannah Hoare	....	production runner
Greg Jordan	....	location manager
Alex Mordaunt	....	assistant location manager
Ron Mueck	....	fairies creator
Helen Ostler	....	floor runner
Alan Robertson	....	photo technical advisor
Stephen Siegrist	....	location assistant: second unit
Nicole Stott	....	assistant to producer
Thomas Ulrich	....	location assistant: second unit
Lisa Vick	....	script supervisor
Tim Wellspring	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Arts Council of England (as The Arts Council of England)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
• British Screen Productions (as British Screen)
• DH Film Service
• Dogstar Films
• Polygram Filmed Entertainment
• Starry Night Film Co.

Distributors

• Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (Switzerland)
• Entertainment (UK)
• PolyGram Film Distribution (France)
• PolyGram Video
• Sogepaq Distribución (Spain)
• Vitória Filmes (Portugal)

Special Effects

• Computer Film Company, The (CFC) (digital compositing, animation)
• The Film Factory at VTR

Other Companies

• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment
• Mike Fraser  telecine rushes transfers
• Movietech  camera equipment provided by
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexuality

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:MA | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:R(A) | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R | Netherlands:12 | Iceland:12 | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Singapore:M18 (re-rating)

Filming Locations:

Ealing Studios, Ealing, London, England, UK

Company:

Arts Council of England

Trivia:

Clive Merrison (Gardner) has played Sherlock Holmes many times on BBC Radio 4 dramas.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When discussing the original photograph with Beatrice Templeton (Frances Barber), Charles Castle (Toby Stephens) says that the supposed fairy in the image could just be a 'glitch in the emulsion'. The use of the word 'glitch' is anachronistic. Glitch, meaning a small fault, didn't come in to common parlance till the 1960s some 40+ years after the setting of this film.

Movie Connections:

Version of FairyTale: A True Story (1997)

Soundtrack:

Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92, II. Allegretto

A thinking man's fairy movie

Occasionaly I am pleasantly suprised by the quality of a movie that I had never heard of prior to watching it. Photographing Fairies (or Apparition as it was tagged by our local Pay TV provider) is on such movie.

Toby Stephens plays Charles Castle (Stephens to me has some strikingly similar traits to Hugh Grant), who tragically lost his wife on the Swiss Alps. The movie chronicles his struggles to come to grips with her death and how the possibility of an afterlife (I don't wish to give the story away)makes him obsessed to prove that there is such an afterlife.

I was impressed by Stephens in this movie and am sure that bigger things will come his way. I was also impressed with Emily Woof who plays the romantic (if that can be said) support to Stephens. Woof was very good in the Woodlanders and continues her fine form here.

Ben Kingsley is also commanding in the movie and his counternance to Stephens desire to prove the existence of the fairies is the keystone of the movie's conclusion.

I tend to like movies that have story lines that I have not come across before. This is one such movie. The pleasing aspect is that the acting supports the plot which leads to a pleasant viewing experience.

This movie gets my thumbs up 7/10