From the Hollywood hills to the Majorcan hills

The director who discovered Hollywood's most “legendary tv bitch” of all time, Dynasty's “Alexis” played by Joan Collins who is currently holidaying in Majorca, lives in the picturesque village of Fornalutx. Gabrielle Beaumont has left the glamourous and stressful Hollywood life behind her and is now running a gourmet restaurant in her village. In a beautiful typical Majorcan stone house with views over-looking the lush Fornalutx valley, English-born producer/writer/director Gabrielle Beaumont has found her own little haven of peace together with her partner the cinematographer Michael Davis and their animals - a donkey, a black cat and the charming parrot Phoebe. The first thing I asked Gabrielle was what had brought her to Majorca and the village of Fornalutx in the first place. She explained that she had come to the island a long time ago working on a film and fell in love with the island. “Originally we rented a place in Deya but we didn't like it too much. Then we found Fornalutx and bought a house here back in 1969. And that was the beginning. In this house we've lived for the past eight years”. Michael recalls how they used to look across the valley from their old home and say to each other “one day if we're lucky we will get that house”. During all this time they were going back and forth to Los Angeles and then one day about two years ago they decided to sell everything - their large boat in LA and a house in London - except for their Majorcan house. This episode marked the beginning of a completely new adventure for them: the restaurant business. “We sold everything except for this house and then we bought a restaurant”. Nevertheless they are stil maintaining their links with the film industry. “The film business is everywhere, it is not centred anywhere, it's wherever they make a film. And nowadays with faxes and email it is not a difficult thing to do”. Both Gabrielle and Michael speak passionately about their experience of opening and running their first restaurant “with high-quality food and a bistro atmosphere”. “We both love food and are good cooks and so last year we decided that this valley does not have a decent restaurant and we thought somebody ought to open one.” And so they opened their restaurant in June last year, and despite the hard work involved with it, they both agree it is something they “quite enjoy doing”. Sitting on their porch surrounded by the mountains and complete silence, the hustle and bustle of Hollywood seems a whole different world apart. I ask Gabrielle how she finds the contrast of life in Hollywood and the much more tranquil life that they lead here. “Well, you see, we've always had this place and whenever I wasn't working I was here. Throughout all my career this was the place where I came to chill-out. Before embarking on her American career Gabrielle had worked in England during many years, involved with televison, film and theatre. The experience of having been working in a country she knew so well and then arrive fresh into the Mecca of the film industry is something Gabrielle remembers fondly. “Oh, it was great. Everyone was so enthusiastic and didn't mind that one was a woman and they wanted to give you a chance, whereas in England it was still very tough. I had always dreamt of going to Hollywood”.