Amazon Prime’s “Catherine Called Birdy” is Based on Karen Cushman’s 1994 novel of the same name. Directed by Lena Dunham, is a medieval comedy that centers around the titular teenager in 12th-century England. Lady Catherine, aka Birdy, is a 14-year-old who belongs to the nobility and her father is determined to find her a suitable husband.
However, the young girl is not interested in marriage and wants to create her own identity. Free-spirited like her birds, Catherine refuses to conform to society and decides to use her voice to empower people like her.
Featuring a talented cast including Andrew Scott, Billie Piper, Bella Ramsey, and Joe Alwyn. It touches the audience with its strong themes of gender equality and standing up for one’s beliefs while lightening it up with comedic moments, which remind of childhood. Moreover, the realistic backdrop of a medieval English castle adds authenticity to the narrative, making one marvel at the exciting filming locations of Catherine Called Birdy.
Where Was Catherine Called Birdy Movie Filmed?
“Catherine Called Birdy” was shot entirely in England, specifically in the county of Shropshire. Filming reportedly began in April 2020 but was soon halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.
Filming eventually resumed in March 2021 and was completed in May of that year. Now, know about Catherine Called Birdy movie filming locations.
England
“Catherine Called Birdy” has appeared in various parts of Shropshire County, an inland historic county in England’s West Midlands. The cast and crew camped primarily in Stokesay, a historic village and former civil parish by the River Onna. Most of the film was shot in and around Stokesay Castle, which stands in for Birdy’s house. Located on Ludlow Road, it is one of the best-preserved walled estates in the country.
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Initially owned by the de Lacy family, Stokesay Castle was later acquired by wool merchant Laurence de Ludlow, who completed works on the castle in the late 13th century. The property is now a historic monument maintained by English Heritage. The production team of the medieval comedy spent around nine weeks in and around the castle, filming key scenes in various parts of the estate.
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Director Lena Dunham shared why she chose the castle as the main location for the film. She said: “England has this wonderful conservation program for historic sites and Stokesay Castle. When I saw it, I knew we had to shoot there… Stokesa says that of all the castles I’ve seen, it’s not the smallest, it’s not the biggest, and it’s very contemporary for that moment in history. It’s like it was just built when we were supposed to be filming.”
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To avoid damage to property, strict safety protocols were followed while shooting the scenes and set designers carefully constructed various props to add more detail to the set. In addition to Stokesay, the crew shot several important sequences in Ludlow, a historic market town located 6 miles northwest of Stokesay.
The grounds of Ludlow Castle in Castle Square appear in some scenes in the film; it is a fortified medieval ruin built in the 11th century.
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