Daphne du Murier

Enshrouded with strangeness and defying convention, the work of Daphné du Maurier (1907-1989) has seduced many filmmakers, especially Alfred Hitchcock, who adapted Jamaica Inn, The Birds and Rebecca, one of her most famous novels. This is a subtle portrait of a complex novelist.

First transmitted in 1971, Daphne du Maurier, author of 'Rebecca' and 'Jamaica Inn', talks to writer Wilfred De'Ath about her life from her Cornish cliff-top home. In her first television interview, the cameras follow du Maurier as she walks through her house and its grounds, recalling key events from her life and revealing memorabilia from her famous theatrical family.She also reflects on the inspirations and influences that shaped her writing and shares archived manuscripts of some of her famous works.