A young adult fantasy adventure film inspired by Talliston House and Gardens is set to premiere this month.
Dubbed 'Britain's most extraordinary home', Talliston House and Gardens is a former council house which author John Tarrow - under his other name 'John Trevillian', transformed into a miniature palace.
The project began in 1990, and took 25 years and more than 130 volunteers before the house and gardens opened to the public in 2015 as a labyrinth of 13 locations - each set in a different time and place.
The short film is based on John's novel, The Stranger's Guide to Talliston, which is now in its second edition.
Filmed in and around Dunmow, the film follows the opening chapters of the book where the boy Joe Darkin is pursued by unknown forces to the abandoned house and gardens.
We then see Joe's adventures through the 13 locations of Talliston, focusing on key scenes in the novel - exploring a Japanese tearoom, a Cambodian treehouse and a haunted Scottish mansion.
While Joe is trapped in the house's fantasy labyrinth, viewers will learn about his peculiar rules for survival and the story of his parents' disappearance.
The film stars 11-year-old Noah Conroy as Joe, and was written by John Tarrow and directed by Scott Godding.
John said: "Talliston is an incredible example of what can be accomplished with the power of pure imagination.
"And I wanted the film to capture what it’s like to step from the ordinary world into the extraordinary.
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"I wish when I was 13 I could have discovered Talliston and read this book – because at its heart is the idea that built the entire house: that with inner belief, we can all achieve extraordinary things."
The film premiere will be held at the Everyman Cinema in Chelmsford at 10am on Monday, November 27.
Star Noah Conroy will be in attendance, along with director Scott and John Tarrow himself.
John was born John Tode in 1965, and adopted the surname 'Trevillian' for his work transforming the house, before later adopting the name 'Tarrow' for his literary work.
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