Forgotten gem from John Irvin. Successful children's author has writer's block and meets a bookseller obsessed with freeing turtles.

Remembering John Irvin 1940 - 2026

Irvin made 30 films and is best known for his BBC’s masterpiece Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1979). Turtle Diary is a forgotten gem written by Harold Pinter and starring the cream of British acting, Glenda Jackson, Ben Kingsley, Michael Gambon and Richard Johnson.

A man and a woman find something very touching about the sea turtles in their tank at London Zoo. They meet and form an odd but endearing camaraderie as they plot to steal two of the turtles.

Dir. John Irvin, UK 1985 96mins PG

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