The Secret of Moonacre (2008) (with Lucy Shuttleworth)

Based on Elizabeth Goudge’s 1992 children’s story Little White Horse, the 2008 fantasy The Secret of Moonacre (Gábor Csupó, 2008) is the subject of Episode 96 of the podcast, with Chris and Alex joined in their discussion of morality, class, and the power of the ego by the film’s screenwriter and Associate Producer Lucy Shuttleworth, who is also Senior Lecturer in the School of Film, Media and Communication at the University of Portsmouth. Listen as they examine the influence and inspiration on Gábor Csupó’s film of a number of literary sources, from 14th Century text Sir Gawain and the Green Knight to William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream; the wood and forest as a site of technological expressivity as much as narrative hostility and sanctuary with fantasy cinema; comparisons with big-screen adaptations like The Golden Compass (Chris Weitz, 2007) and Enola Holmes (Harry Bradbeer, 2020); VFX technologies and gender representation; and what The Secret of Moonacre tells us about the perils of the adaptation process and the power of effective visual storytelling. **Fantasy/Animation theme tune composed by Francisca Araujo** **This episode was produced and edited by Leon Waldo**

Om Podcasten

Christopher Holliday researches animation history and digital media at King’s College London (UK). Alexander Sergeant is a Lecturer in Film and Media Studies at University of Portsmouth (UK), specialising in the history and theory of fantasy cinema. Each episode, they look in detail at a film or television show, taking listeners on a journey through the intersection between fantasy cinema and the medium of animation.