My Family and Other Animals (2005) (TV)

Director:

Sheree Folkson

Writers:

Gerald Durrell (book)
Simon Nye (written by)

Release Date:

27 December 2005 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

An English family relocates to sunny Greece in the months before WWII.

Plot Keywords:

Corfu | Naturalist | Greek Island | Eccentricity | Turtle

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Imelda Staunton	...	Mother
Chris Langham	...	Theodore Stephanides
Omid Djalili	...	Spiro
Matthew Goode	...	Larry Durrell
Russell Tovey	...	Leslie Durrell
Tamzin Merchant	...	Margot Durrell
Eugene Simon	...	Gerald Durrell
Kostas Tziotakis	...	Customs Officer
Mihalis Giannatos	...	Porter / Waiter (as Michalis Giannatos)
Olga Tournaki	...	Agathi
Dimitris Kaberidis	...	Rose-Beetle Man
David Armand	...	George
Antonis Antoniou	...	Yani
George Couyas	...	Turkish Boyfriend
Efi Papatheodorou	...	Lugaretsia
Yorgos Kotanidis	...	Zatopec (as George Kotanidis)
Jason Watkins	...	Durant
Mark Caven	...	Henry Miller
Miranda Hart	...	Jonquil
Meredith MacNeill	...	Silent Girlfriend
Rosalie Craig	...	Nancy
Tom Goodman-Hill	...	Peter
Matthew Rizos	...	Gerald's Double
Alexander Armstrong	...	Narrator (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lucy Christofi Christy

Directed by
Sheree Folkson

Writing credits
Gerald Durrell		(book)
Simon Nye		(written by)

Produced by
Rebecca Eaton	....	executive producer: WGBH
Susan Hogg	....	executive producer
Simon Lewis	....	producer
Lee Morris	....	line producer

Original Music by
Nicholas Hooper		(as Nick Hooper)

Cinematography by
Tat Radcliffe		(director of photography) (as Anthony Radcliffe)

Film Editing by
Philip Kloss

Casting by
Rachel Freck
Makis Gazis

Production Design by
Claire Kenny

Art Direction by
Niall Moroney

Costume Design by
Michele Clapton

Makeup Department
Teresa Kelly	....	makeup assistant
Cherry West	....	hair designer
Cherry West	....	makeup designer
Evi Zafiropoulou	....	makeup assistant (as Evi Zafeiropoulou)

Production Management
Dimitris Birbilis	....	production manager: Greece (as Dimitri Birbilis)
Phil Brown	....	post-production supervisor
Martin Coates	....	production manager: UK

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Elena Dimitrakopoulou	....	third assistant director
Peter Stenning	....	first assistant director
Paula Turnbull	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Giannis Baratas	....	construction manager
Thanos Baratas	....	construction assistant
Danny Berk	....	props buyer: Greece (as Danny Burke)
Tim Bonstow	....	props buyer: UK
Nota Darmani	....	art department assistant
Gerassimos Karvounis	....	set dresser (as Gerasimos Karvounis)
Thodoris Loukeris	....	set dresser (as Theodoris Loukeris)
Anna Noti	....	stand-by art director
Gavalas Sotiris	....	stand-by carpenter
Nikos Triandafilopoulos	....	finishing painter (as Nikos Triantafilopoulos)
Miri Tsara	....	painter
Giorgos Tzanakis	....	stand-by props (as Yorgos Tzanakis)
Babis Zafeiropoulos	....	props master (as Babis Zafiropoulos)
Matthew Meadows	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Paul Cridlin	....	boom operator
Stuart Hilliker	....	dubbing mixer
Danny Sheehan	....	dubbing editor
John Taylor	....	sound recordist
Ben Brazier	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Paul Carter	....	foley editor (uncredited)
Sue Lenny	....	dialogue editor (uncredited)
Michael Maroussas	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Michalis Samiotis	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Chris Brett	....	visual effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Terry Edland	....	gaffer
Danny Griffiths	....	electrician
Thanassis Karambelos	....	assistant grip (as Thanasis Karabelos)
Yiannis Maragoudakis	....	electrician
Tim Potter	....	focus puller
Carolos Stermy	....	grip (as Carolos Sturmey)
Karl Thomas	....	best boy
Manu Tilinski	....	clapper loader
Michael Tsimperopoulos	....	steadicam operator (as Michael Tsiberopoulos)
Gareth Williams	....	electrician
Mark Yates	....	cameraman: Natural History

Casting Department
Mari Roditi	....	extras casting
Jane Anderson	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Alex Fordham	....	costume supervisor
Katie Hill	....	wardrobe assistant
Irini Kiatipi	....	wardrobe assistant
Cristy Watson	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Rob Cooper	....	on-line editor
Julie Foster	....	assistant film editor
Kevin Horsewood	....	telecine grader

Music Department
Steve Parr	....	music mixer (uncredited)

Other crew
Kelly Anagnostou	....	floor runner
Anthony Bloom	....	birds
Paris Bourletos	....	production assistant: Greece
Thanasis Chondronasios	....	location assistant
Phillipa Cole	....	production coordinator: UK
Anna Dafni	....	location manager
Sue Darley	....	dogs
Annie Frederics	....	publicist (as Annie Frederick)
Mark Galbraith	....	production executive
Mary Georgou	....	production coordinator: Greece
Sonia Hooper	....	dogs
Elena Konstantinidou	....	armourer: Greece
Neil Lucas	....	producer: Natural History
Damian Mitchell	....	armourer: UK (as Damien Mitchell)
Dimitris Pavlou	....	location manager
Carol Saunderson	....	script supervisor
Esther Springer	....	script executive
Karen Vicary	....	production accountant
Jonathan Wilson	....	contact: London
Steve Fletcher	....	tutor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
• WGBH

Distributors

• Arte (2007) (Germany) (TV)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2005) (UK) (TV)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2006) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Abkco Films  by arrangement with (as ABKCO Films)
• CL Productions  executive producer: Greece

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Corfu, Greece

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Quotes:

[first lines]
Larry Durrell: Why do we put up with this bloody climate? I mean, look at us: Gerry can't speak,
Gerald Durrell: Uh?
Larry Durrell: Lesley can't hear.
Leslie Durrell: What?
Larry Durrell: Margot's got a face like a plate of red porridge.
Margot Durrell: Shut up.
Larry Durrell: Mother's beginning to look like an Irish washerwoman.
Mother: I am not.
Larry Durrell: It's August. We need sunshine.
[...]

The beauty of nature

I was amazed by the sheer beauty of the images in this made-for-TV movie. The views are breathtaking. Everything looks simply wonderful: the island, the sea, the villas ('our' family moves to a new house whenever they feel the need arise), the locals and an interesting flock of visitors, and of course the abundant wildlife on Corfu.

The story is quite funny sometimes, and at one point even moving, the acting is very good and the direction and editing are spot on. What matters is that non of it gets in the way of what this movie tries to accomplish.

My Family And Other Animals is about the beauty of nature, as seen by a boy. After watching it, you can understand why someone like him would spend his life studying that subject. This movie feels like a breath of fresh air, bringing the viewer back to the days when such a thing existed. Every boy (or girl) should be able to spend his youth this way.