TURNER CONTEMPORARY
THE PINK HOUSE
It is Kent ’ s rich historical tapestry interwoven with the county ’ s diverse landscape that has birthed the myths , legends and stories fantastical enough for the big screen and enthralling enough for a good series . From seascapes that swell with the surreal , to a countryside so idyllic it can either echo halcyon days gone by or be juxtaposed with the darkest of secrets , whatever a director may be desperate to depict , it is likely to have been done here in Kent . Although a location for filming since cinématographe began sometime around 1895 , Kent ’ s leading role in the film industry is far from over . Continuing to gather momentum as creatives and directors shine their spotlight onto the county ’ s mesmerising shorelines , historic homes and bewitching countryside , 2023 has already seen the arrival of Kent set dramas just three months into the year .
Nominated for an Oscar , Margate set Empire of Light directed by Academy-Award winning Sam Mendes , stars national treasure Olivia Coleman as a cinema manager struggling with her mental health . Together with Stephen , a new employee longing to escape the provincial town where he faces daily adversity , they find a sense of belonging and experience the healing power of music , cinema and community . Heralded an ‘ ode to the power of cinema ’, the film features artistic shots of Margate ’ s iconic Dreamland ( www . dreamland . co . uk ), the seafront and the Turner Contemporary ( www . turnercontemporary . org ), as well as the exteriors of other buildings which were taken over and transformed into fictional premises . The crew even built a complete replica cinema foyer within an unused space on Margate seafront . Local residents were employed as film extras , the footpaths along Margate beach were transformed into a winter snow scene , and a rain machine was brought in on sunny days .
But why Margate ? Sam Mendes explains : “ I was drawn to this particular place because it offered so much opportunity in the scale of the visual landscape . It ’ s where J . M . W . Turner painted most of his famous paintings – he went there because he said that the skies were the finest in Europe . It ’ s where TS Eliot wrote The Waste Land , sitting in a shelter just outside of the cinema looking out over the beach and the grey sea that sits beyond . There ’ s a breadth about the place , which gives it poetry and a cinematic scope .” Visitors to Margate looking to discover all the beauty and magic depicted in this film can delve into these characteristics applauded by Mendes . Stay at The Pink House ( www . dogfriendlycottages . co . uk ), a five-storey boutique bed and breakfast with gorgeous rooms and far-reaching sea views , where T . S . Eliot stayed , and visit Sargasso ( www . sargasso . bar ) on the harbour arm . Here , enjoy a glass of wine alongside a seafood snack menu upon an evening to absorb all the glory of those same sunsets that inspired Turner ’ s paintings .
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