Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1438629
Pablo was often amused at some of the outdated traditions still upheld by the Royals, some of which had been put in place hundreds of years ago and now seemed ridiculous in this 1990s backdrop. I was still attending art school in London in 1991 and have a vivid recollection of daily life at that time; the urban landscape and popular culture in Britain. It was exciting to be able to recreate that time period with such personal knowledge. The biggest task was recreating the Sandringham Estate, a very British institution set within the picturesque landscape of Norfolk, with as much realism as possible. Being based mostly in Germany made this extra challenging, but also pushed the production's creativity in all areas. Sandringham has a rich architectural history and, as is typical of stately homes in England, has undergone many rebuilds and stylistic changes over the centuries dating back to the Elizabethan era. Perhaps the only way to describe the house is that it has a Georgian foundation from 1771 with a whimsical acobean retrofit in about 1870, although in truth, the architectural history of the house is far more complex. All this to say that in essence, the house was very unique and virtually impossible to match to a location in Germany, the distinct red brick alone made that mission pointless. Fortunately, this was not the brief from the director, who wanted what can only be described as a palace of nightmares, somewhere one really wouldn't want to spend Christmas, with everyone caught in an endless game of dress-up with no end in sight. And yet it couldn't look unreal or too exaggerated; it wasn't to be a horror film. t needed to feel real and inviting on the surface with a subtle undertone of misery and anguish. During the fall of 2020, I scouted across Germany searching for what I knew would be very dicult locations to find. ealistically, needed to find pieces of a pule that would fit together to create the films architectural framework. Germany has its own unique style of architecture, some of which is from the same period as Sandringham. I looked at a number of breathtaking estates that stylistically leaned toward baroque and classicism but unfortunately, nothing that felt as though it could exist in Norfolk's deep countryside. I continued to consider the role of the estate in the script during these scouts and pictured Diana as a fairytale princess, alternating between melancholy and joyful moments with her sons. The castle would be surrounded by a moat and froen winter fields as far as the eye could see. The expression 'Elegant Prison' was coined and referred to throughout the production. The concept for Sandringham evolved with each conversation, creating a vivid atmosphere of loneliness and isolation for the story's fragile princess. We referenced Xanadu and the vast C. NORDKIRCHEN CASTLE AND MOAT. THE VAST, AUSTERE LOCATION CAPTURED THE SPIRIT OF THE 'ELEGANT PRISON.' PRODUCTION STILL BY PABLO LARRAIN. D. SANDRINGHAM STATEROOM. THE FAMILY GATHERS TO WATCH THE TRADITIONAL QUEEN'S BROADCAST. PRODUCTION STILL BY PABLO LARRAIN. C D