Filming

We are functioning in a new "normal" around here...at least for the time-being.  Back in 2009 we met Roberto Minervini, an independent film-maker at one of our markets.  Roberto films full length films in a documentary style.  He does not look for an actress to play a nurse, he looks for a nurse interested in acting.  He does not have a strict screenplay, he will basically say "here is the scene...you are eating lunch and discussing the plans for the day, be sure to bring up the fence that you will be working on and introduce the issue of the baby goat that is sick..."  He ended up coming out and filming for about a day and a half.  The film (The Passage)was released in 2011 and we ended up being in around ten minutes of the film which was featured in film festivals in Europe.

Late in the Spring of 2012 Roberto contacted us again.  He was wanting to do a film which explored life and death issues through the experiences of young people, were we interested?  This was to take a much longer time commitment from us, basically the entire month of June.  We discussed, prayed, asked questions, discussed and prayed again and ended up agreeing.

Then it became "the month of June...and we will be out to start easing into it the last week of so of May".  Then "we will need to film from that last week of May through July 15".  Now it is "We have good news and bad news...the good news is that we will be filming through the end of July!  The bad news is...we will be filming through the end of July".

They have filmed a live human birth with myself and several daughters in attendance as 'midwives'.  They have filmed animal deaths.  They have filmed milking and markets and cheesemaking and breakfast, lunch and dinner.  The film includes another family, with the connection being our children becoming fans of their young adult son who is an aspiring bull rider.  Through this connection our children have been able to have absolutely priceless experiences such as riding bulls, being able to be present at a birth and the experience of turning the tables on the film crew and filming the crew as they ate lunch.  ("See how hard it is to look natural while you chew with a camera just two inches from your face?")

They have started thinking that everyone does their chores and school lessons and plays with a camera over their shoulder.  I have been filmed while folding laundry, having courtship discussions and teaching phonics.  Tim has been filmed while pounding fence posts, moving round bales of hay and unloading a ton or two of feed.  They filmed as we raced a brewing storm to round up baby goats and get them to shelter, commenting "wow, that seemed real, y'all really seemed concerned" as a tree crashed to the ground just over their shoulders.  They filmed us at church and at markets--even filming while we sold product to the mayor of Houston (who duly signed her release for filming).  The advice around the house has become "if you are going to take a nap or a shower you had better lock the door unless you are willing for it to be filmed.   The crew is accompanied by a still photographer and he is busy taking pictures where and when the film crew isn't--when he is not reading Camus in Spanish. 

We are in the home-stretch, now.  We go bull-riding again today and I think later this week we will also be going to the beach.  The crew really wants to be able to film a live animal birth.  We do not know if they will be able to get that notch in their filming belt, so to speak, we keep telling them that we are not in control of life and death but that we will do our best to give them a heads-up when we can.  They have rushed out here several times when called, only to miss it four times.

We do not know when the film will be released. In the meanwhile we are neck deep in rich life experiences and are relishing the opportunities to the fullest because it is unlikely that they will come our way again.

We now know that the film will be released as "Stop the Pounding Heart".  It has been accepted for screening at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.