Eindhoven, Wednesday 28th March 2008

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Eindhoven, Openluchtmuseum
Wednesday 28 March 2008

We were contacted by the NCRV about a TV series they were filming. One of the historical subjects was to be the Batavian insurrection of the years 69-70 AD, to be filmed at the Historical Open Air Museum Eindhoven (HOME). The series, Kaaskoppen en Waterlanders, is a series aimed at adults and teenagers, showing two 15-minute (non-related) items of Dutch history every week. This one was combined with an item about slavery in Dutch Suriname.
The end result can be seen here: http://player.omroep.nl/?aflid=6821284

Eindhoven and surrounding area.

Detailed image of the Historic Open Air Museum Eindhoven.

I had been to the HOME in Eindhoven before, but it was a lot warmer then! But this was a cold and wet spring, and although quite late in the year, it had been snowing not too long ago. Last weekend had been very wet, and the mud was everywhere. Only the Medieval part of the park was cobbled, but of course we would not be filming there.. Jeroen only had Roman sandals, luckily I could wear my boots...

Jeroen in his new tunica.

Jean teaches Jeroen the secrets of the bow.

Jos was also present as a guest-Roman.

Jonathan and Hanneke as Batavians.

Just before the uprising, Romans and Batavians are still friendly.

The stage is set for Jeroen's part in the series.

We arrived around 10 in the morning, to find that the crew and our friends were in a different part of the park, filming the closing scene. That meant we could take it easy, getting into gear, practise with the bow, which Jeroen never touched before. In fact, we would not even have been present, had the network not especially asked for him to come! They needed a small boy who could play the young son of Julius Civilis, leader of the Batavians during the insurrection. In an old painting that they wanted to recreate, Civilis' son would be shooting arrows at Roman prisoners... What a role for a small boy of seven!

The Batavian village, or rather part of the Iron Age houses at the HOME museum, a perfect location for this venue.

After a good lunch we all moved to the southern part of the park, where a cluster of Iron Age and later houses would double as a Batavian village. Here, we would shoot some scenes (such as a cosey village life before the rebellion), and Jeroen's scene as well. His 'father', played by Gerard from Corbvlo, would have a barber paint his hair and beard red in the tradition of his Batavian ancestors, a vow he had taken in the war against the Romans. Meanwhile, Jeroen would be shooting arrows, supposedly at tied-up Roman prisoners (as seen in the painting). First though the village was at rest, Romans playing dice with Batavians, the women cooking lunch..

All wait in anticipation for for the scene to come.

A little Batavian ready for action.

Lights, camera, action! Jeroen shoots his first arrow..

The camera follows every move up close..

What a shot!!

Civilis with his red hairs...

When it was his turn, Jeroen was a bit cold and anxious, but as soon as he was given his bow that was all forgotten! The director needed just a few words, and Jeroen shot his arrows perfectly, watched by his 'father' Civilis and the barber who was solemnly painting daddie's beard red.. Later in the series we found that the network had added horrrible cries of wounded and dying Romans...

Hieronymus' mastershot, straight into the wooden leg of the stool! All of us were quite amazed.

After the shooting, we did a battle-scene at the edge of the woods. A nice battle, repeated many times! And of course, in the end the Roman army was victorious! A good end to a cold but very interesting day.