The breathing green world and the aching grief in Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell were conjured in the most magical way possible by director Chloé Zhao. The romance slowly gives way to the suffocating depths of a mother’s grief, her loneliness, her rage, and her silent acceptance of loss. And there is so much grace that even the soil and the air spoke of the loss and the beauty. 

Even though it was not filmed in Stratford-upon-Avon, where Shakespeare spent most of his life, the film does not fail to reflect the old times as well as the emotions of the characters. So, it is worth taking a look at all the places where Hamnet took shape. 

While the fictional work based on William Shakespeare and his wife’s personal life begins in Stratford-upon-Avon, the movie Hamnet was filmed in Weobley. The village had some of the most beautiful Tudor architecture, with several locations closely mirroring Stratford-upon-Avon. Moreover, the village is also known for its wool and glove-making trade, which was believed to be Shakespeare’s family profession.

For Anne’s childhood home, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage in Stratford-upon-Avon, Hamnet’s crew went to Cwmmau Farmhouse in Hewlands Farm, where the Tudor house became the perfect place to film. As for the labour scene, where Anne gives birth to her daughter Susanna under a tree, it was filmed at Lydney Park Estate in Gloucestershire.

Later, to film Shakespeare’s time in London, the crew went to London Charterhouse, which has buildings dating back to the medieval and Tudor periods. Every location in Wales and Herefordshire, where the film was shot, was not perhaps where Shakespeare lived, but Zhao’s brilliant vision and the scenic details made it quite convincing.

But one place, Shakespeare’s Globe theater, was a bit different from the real one in London. The filming of the Globe was done on a replica set, which was created for Hamnet. However, this breathing world would not have felt as alive without a brilliant cast, who gave flesh and heartbeat to the quiet devastation shown in Hamnet.

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Both Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal have received massive praise, with the film now being positioned as a strong contender for the Academy Awards.

Hamnet, starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, has secured eight Oscar nominations. Buckley is nominated for Best Actress, alongside strong competitors like Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You and Emma Stone for Bugonia. Buckley has already earned several wins for her performance as Agnes. 

She won a BAFTA for Best Leading Actress, while Hamnet was awarded Outstanding British Film. Recently, she also won the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Actress, making her a strong contender for the Oscar. Meanwhile, Hamnet is also nominated for Best Picture. It has further received nominations for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, and Best Casting. 

While the number of nominations and wins already says much about the film, much spectacle still remains to be witnessed at the Academy Awards.

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What do you think about the locations used in Hamnet? Let us know in the comments.