Picasso, Monet, van Gogh, Cezanne; writers Hemingway and Cocteau; film makers Huston and Truffaut, all found inspiration here; now there was me !!
This is where flocks of pink flamingos grace the flat lands, their long legs disappearing into the early morning mist drifting low across this soft watery landscape. Immense beauty and pastoral peace radiate from the shimmering translucent light, creating elegant tapestries of sumptuoussplendor.
The Camargue region of Provence is also famous for its Black bulls, wonderful white horses and once a year the Gypsy Pilgrimage to ‘Saint-Maries- de la-Mer’ to venerate theirpatron saint ‘Sara.’ round which our story is based.
So why was I here in this fabulous place for three months,filming !!
I’ll explain all in the next few blogs:
Robin Crichton was one of Scotland’s most enterprising film producers. He had co-written ‘Sara’ with French writer Brigitte Aymard and It was to be a major international feature film for television; all shot on location in the Camargue region of Provence.
Robin asked me if I would direct the photography for him. At first, I was hesitant. I was always saying goodbye to the people I loved the most and this was for three months. Eventually I was persuaded – I knew the homesickness would be there, it always was – but this was a wonderful opportunity to work with the French film industry.
Robin had advised me that he and I would be the only English-speaking people on the production. The camera crew,production and electrical department would all come from Bordeaux – they were being supplied by one of the French co-producers. Very few had any English, but all wondered why they didn’t have their own French, director of photography. However, after a few teething problems the creative culturesof Scotland and France blended once again for the benefit of both.
So, here I was for the next three months, filming in the most beautiful place on earth, in the most wonderful light, with the most wonderful people, being served with the most wonderfullocal culinary delights of Provence and drinking the best wine.But homesickness was no respecter of locations.
P 2
I was reminded of how different this was from the three months I’d spent in the ugliest place on earth. Battered by gale force winds, assaulted by ear shattering demolition, as I carried my food from the catering truck to the broken-downbus, parked amongst the freezing wastes and derelict wharfs of the ‘Isle of Dogs.’ Jellied Eels, Pie and Mash and Brick Lane bagels were amongst the local culinary delights of the East End; washed down by a cup of builder’s tea if therampaging pie-dogs hadn’t already knocked the urn over. I was filming ‘Prospects’ for Euston Films.
Anyway, back to Provence.
To be cont. in (blog 2)
‘SARA’ is in my book “Shaping the Shadows: A PictureMaker’s Story” along with many others and is on sale from the National Library of Scotland for £10.
Also available from:
marklittlewood.org.uk
Amazon
#Prospects #RobinCrichton #SaintesMariesdelaMer #Sara#nationalLibraryofScotland.
