On a bridge just outside Coevorden, a crew films a scene from the Second World War. Four Dutch soldiers who manage to slow down a group of 700 Germans for hours. According to director Remko Meijer, those stories from the beginning of the war are not well known enough. “These are the heroes from the very beginning. And they really are heroes. There is almost no appreciation for that. There is a monument and nothing more and I think that is a shame.”
Filming on public roads has its challenges. The bridge is also on the route of a DAF classic car club. In addition, some concessions have been made to local authorities. For example, the guns are bright red and blue, but this is not noticeable in the black and white end product.
Producer Erik Dijkema is responsible for the schedule, catering and occasionally stops a convoy of cars. It’s part of the small team that people wear more hats. “We have twelve actors and extras and the rest is the crew. So light, sound and video. Catering and of course the filmmaker and the producer. It is quite a challenge. You actually have to be with a larger group.”
The documentary will be between 20 and 35 minutes and should be ready in early May. “It is still an enormous challenge in post-production. For example, we still have to filter certain images, because everything that is now on screen here was not there in 1940. There is still a lot of editing work to be done,” says Dijkema as he looks at the windmills in the distance.
The cameras are already running, but a channel to broadcast it has not yet been found. The makers are currently paying for it from their own pockets, director Meijer confirms. “I am in any case very interested in the Second World War and I do not want it to be forgotten. That is my goal. This is a piece of history that must remain.”
There is no channel yet, but the documentary is being distributed. The video will be online around May 4 and 5 on the YouTube channel of Cher Video Production, Meijer’s company.