What was the inspiration behind the film Greenfingers

A.Prison. The new film starring Helen Mirren is the story of a team of criminals from Leyhill prison who won a gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show. It's the true story of six inmates, serving time for offences which include fraud and assault, who won a gold medal at last year's show for their display 'Time - the Healer'. The actual film was inspired by a report in the New York Times read by an American director and scriptwriter, Joel Hershman.

Q. What is the film about

A. The relatively low-budget Greenfingers is about the inmates' battle to win the top English flower show. It follows the basic theme of criminals who find and heal themselves through nature. The Royal Horticultural Society lent its support, and the late Rosemary Verey, who designed the garden at Highgrove for the Prince of Wales, was bought in to give advice. In fact, she allowed her house and gardens in the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, to be used as a set for Helen Mirren's home.

In the film, Helen Mirren plays a devoted plantswoman who coaches a team of prison gardeners, led by actor Clive Owen, to victory at a prestigious flower show.

Q. How much did the film cost to make

A. By Hollywood standards, relatively little. The five-week shoot was completed with a 2 million budget. It was produced by Trudi Styler, wife of pop star Sting, and celebrity friends Elton John and Bruce Springsteen have made their musical mark on the movie.

Q. Will the prisoners get to see the movie

A. The governor of Leyhill Open Prison will be hosting a special screening of Greenfingers for staff and inmates this month. The film, which won critical acclaim when it was screened at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this year, opened in New York last week and will premiere in London in September. The Royal Horticultural Society will host the London event and the New York occasion will benefit the Horticultural Society of New York.

Q. Did the inmates win a prize at this year's Chelsea Show

A. Amazingly, they repeated their success and won a silver medal for a garden based on the Eden Project in St Austell, Cornwall.

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By Katharine MacColl