Film policy, national identity and period adaptations in Flanders during the 1970s and 1980s

Abstract

During the 1970s and 1980s, ‘period adaptations,’ or period films based on the Flemish literary patrimony, were the most prominent and prestigious genre of film production in Flanders, the northern, Dutch-speaking region of Belgium. Connecting the observation that official film policy largely determines Flemish film production with the dominant interpretation of period adaptations in Flemish cultural and national terms, these films are often seen as the product of an official Flemish film policy strategy. Drawing on original archival research and interviews with policy actors and film-makers, this article offers a detailed historical account of the Flemish film support process behind the allocation of official film funds for period adaptations and how the national question was involved. Contrary to common assumptions, this film support process was a very complex and often ambiguous one, whereby Flemish cultural nationalist concerns could work both to the advantage and to the disadvantage of period adaptation projects. While the Minister of Culture’s advisory board (the film commission) took a key role within this process, the agency of a variety of other actors (most notably Flemish public television and film producers) should also be taken into consideration.

Notes

1 Andrew Higson, English heritage, English Cinema: costume drama since 1980 (Oxford, 2003).

2 Anton Kaes, From Hitler to Heimat: the return of history as film (Cambridge, 1989).

3 See for example Elizabeth Boa and Rachel Palfreyman, Heimat: A German Dream. Regional Loyalties and National Identity in German Culture 1890–1990 (Oxford, 2000); James Chapman, Past and Present: national identity and the British historical film (London, 2005); Catherine Fowler and Gillian Helfield (eds), Representing the Rural: space, place, and identity in films about the land (Detroit, 2006); Higson; Belén Vidal, Heritage Film: Nation, Genre and Representation (London, 2012).

4 Stuart Hall, The question of cultural identity, in Stuart Hall, David Held and Tony McGrew (eds), Modernity and Its Futures (Cambridge, 1992), 274–316; Stuart Hall, Representation: cultural representations and signifying practices (London, 1997).

5 Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities: reflections on the origin and spread of nationalism (London, 1991). For a conception of a ‘collective’ and ‘cultural memory,’ see also Aleida Assmann, Cultural Memory and Western Civilization: functions, media, archives (New York, 2011); Jan Assmann, Cultural Memory and Early Civilization: writing, remembrance, and political imagination (New York, 2011); Maurice Halbwachs, Les Cadres Sociaux De La Mémoire (Paris, 1952); Pierre Nora, Les Lieux De Mémoire (Paris, 1984).

6 André Bazin, L’Adaptation ou le cinéma comme digest, L’Esprit, 16(146) (July 1948), 32–40.

7 James Naremore (ed.), Film Adaptation (London, 2000), 14.

8 For an examination of the relations between the Flemish Movement and literature, see Piet Couttenier, Emiel Willekens and Gaston Durnez, Literatuur en V.B., in Reginald De Schryver, Bruno De Wever, Gaston Durnez, Lieve Gevers, Pieter Van Hees and Machteld De Metsenaere (eds), Nieuwe Encyclopedie van de Vlaamse Beweging (Tielt, 1998), 1939–1957. For an overview of the history of the Flemish Movement, see Lieve Gevers, Arie W. Willemsen and Els Witte, Geschiedenis van de Vlaamse Beweging, in Reginald De Schryver, Bruno De Wever, Gaston Durnez, Lieve Gevers, Pieter Van Hees and Machteld De Metsenaere (eds), Nieuwe Encyclopedie van de Vlaamse Beweging (Tielt, 1998), 35–86; Theo Hermans, Louis Vos and Lode Wils (eds), The Flemish Movement: a documentary history, 1780–1990 (London, 1992).

9 Alexander Dhoest, Reconstructing Flanders. The representation of the nation in Flemish period drama, Communications, 28(3) (2003), 265.

10 Alexander Dhoest, De Verbeelde Gemeenschap: 50 Jaar Vlaamse Tv-Fictie En De Constructie Van Een Nationale Identiteit (Leuven, 2004), 143; Jan-Pieter Everaerts, Film in België: Een Permanente Revolte (Brussel, 2000), 245. Similar analyses have also appeared for other regions and countries, such as Australia, where 1970s and 1980s period films have been described as the ‘Australian Film Commission genre,’ see Susan Dermody and Elizabeth Jacka, The Screening of Australia: anatomy of a national cinema (Sydney, 1988).

11 See for example Wim De Poorter, De Dood van een Non, Ons Erfdeel 18(5) (1975), 778–780.

12 Philip Mosley, Split Screen: Belgian cinema and cultural identity (New York, 2001), 114.

13 See also Ernest Mathijs (ed.), The Cinema of the Low Countries (London, 2004), 8.

14 Wim De Poorter, From Y Mañana? To Manneken Pis: Thirty Years of Flemish Filmmaking, The Low Countries: arts and society in Flanders and the Netherlands: a yearbook 1997–1998 (Rekkem, 1997), 130–141.

15 Sarah Street, British Cinema in Documents (London, 2000), 10.

16 Simone Murray, Materializing adaptation theory: the adaptation industry, Literature/Film Quarterly 36(1) (2008), 4–20; Simone Murray, The Adaptation Industry: the cultural economy of contemporary literary adaptation (New York, 2012).

17 Naremore, 10.

18 Vincent L. Barnett, The commercial effects of the adaptation of novels into films in the United Kingdom, 1910–1940, Journal of Adaptation in Film and Performance, 3(1) (2010), 5–28; Guerric DeBona, Dickens, the Depression, and MGM’s David Copperfield, in James Naremore (ed.), Film Adaptation (London, 2000), 106–128; Laurence Raw, The small-town scarlet letter, in David L. Kranz and Nancy C. Mellerski (eds), In/Fidelity: essays on film adaptation (Newcastle, 2008), 110–121.

19 In 1964, the ‘Minister of Dutch Culture’ was still subordinate to the national Minister of Education. Due to the first Belgian state reform in 1970, when film and other cultural affairs officially became Flemish Community matters, the Minister of Dutch Culture became a full member of the Belgian government. After the state reform in 1980, a separate ‘Flemish executive’ (the later Flemish government) came into operation next to the Belgian government. The relevant minister for film policy matters was now the Flemish Minister of Culture.

20 CVP is the abbreviation for Christelijke Volkspartij (Christian People’s Party).

21 PVV is the abbreviation for Partij voor Vrijheid en Vooruitgang (Party for Freedom and Progress).

22 Marianne Thys (ed.), Belgian Cinema (Brussels, 1999).

23 SCF meeting, 4 April 1966, Box 3, State Archives Beveren, Archives of Media and Film 2004 (hereafter SAB, AMF).

24 Dhoest (2003).

25 Alexander Dhoest, Negotiating images of the nation: the production of Flemish Tv drama, 1953–89, Media, Culture & Society, 26(3) (2004), 393–408; Hilde Van den Bulck, Public service television and national identity as a project of modernity: the example of Flemish television, Media, Culture & Society, 23(1) (2001), 53–69.

26 Erik Martens, Mira, of De Teleurgang Van De Waterhoek/Mira, in Ernest Mathijs (ed.), The Cinema of the Low Countries (London, 2004), 86–94.

27 In this study, the consideration of a film as being ‘Flemish’ is based on its production structure. The fact that Mira was a co-production with the Netherlands, directed by a Dutchman and starring a Dutch leading lady (dubbed by a Flemish actress), somewhat problematizes its categorization as a Flemish film. Apart from the Flemish source novel, screenwriter, producer and other key positions, however, the Flemish part in the production budget outnumbered the Dutch part. The same goes for the four other Flemish–Dutch co-productions under consideration in this article: Pallieter, Death of a Nun, The Flaxfield and The Lion of Flanders.

28 SCF meeting, 8 January 1970, Box 7, SAB, AMF.

29 Streuvels’ novel The Flaxfield had already been adapted to the screen in 1943 by the Germans in occupied Belgium as Wenn die Sonne wieder scheint, directed by Boleslaw Barlog. The film commission, however, did not refer to this previous adaptation. For more information about the 1943 film, see Roel Vande Winkel and Ine Van Linthout, De Vlaschaard 1943: een Vlaams boek in nazi-Duitsland en een Duitse film in bezet België (Kortrijk, 2007).

30 Letter from André Gekiere to the chairman of the SCF, Box 18, SAB, AMF.

31 Karel Wauters, Conscience, Hendrik, in Reginald De Schryver, Bruno De Wever, Gaston Durnez, Lieve Gevers, Pieter Van Hees and Machteld De Metsenaere (eds), Nieuwe Encyclopedie van de Vlaamse Beweging (Tielt, 1998), 783–787.

32 SCF meeting, 13 January 1972, Box 9, SAB, AMF.

33 SCF meeting, 18 November 1975, Box 12, SAB, AMF; SCF meeting, 20 November 1981, Box 18, SAB, AMF; SCF meeting, 13 January 1983, Box 20, SAB, AMF.

34 See, for example, Marc Ruyters, Een cineast die zijn volk leerde lezen, De Tijd (19 October 2004), 18. Jan-Pieter Everaerts, Film in België: Een Permanente Revolte (Brussels, 2000), 57.

35 See, for example, Marc Reynebeau, Het boek is beter dan de film. Mira, De Standaard, 17 March 2006; Patrick Duynslaegher, De aftiteling, Focus Knack, 11 June 2003; Guido Henderickx quoted in Myriam Verschaeren, Het godsgeschenk van de zonde, De Standaard der Letteren, 11 March 1999.

36 SCF meeting, 21 December 1973, Box 10, SAB, AMF.

37 Roland Verhavert, interviewed by the author, Torhout, 5 February 2013.

38 Frédéric Sojcher, La Kermesse Héroïque Du Cinéma Belge: Le Miroir Déformant Des Identités Culturelles (1965–1988) (Paris, 1999), 297.

39 Roland Verhavert, interviewed by the author, Torhout, 5 February 2013.

40 Letter from Kunst en Kino to the SCF, 21 January 1974, Box 175, SAB, AMF.

41 Letter from Jan Van Raemdonck to the SCF, 25 January 1974, Box 175, SAB, AMF.

42 SCF meeting, 5 April 1974, Box 11, SAB, AMF.

43 SCF meeting, 20 November 1981, Box 18, SAB, AMF.

44 SCF meeting, 18 November 1975, Box 12, SAB, AMF.

45 SCF meeting, 13 January 1983, Box 20, SAB, AMF.

46 For a detailed analysis of the production of The Lion of Flanders, see Gertjan Willems ‘De Leeuw van Vlaanderen wil ik zo gauw mogelijk vergeten.’ Over de productie en receptie van de film en televisieserie De Leeuw van Vlaanderen (1984), Journal of Belgian History, 43(2–3) (2013), 178–209.

47 Jo Tollebeek, Consciences niemandsland: ‘De Leeuw van Vlaenderen’, de natie en de geschiedenis, in Pierre Delsaerdt and Marcus de Schepper (eds), Letters in de boeken: liber amicorum Ludo Simons (Kapellen, 2004), 329–338; Karel Wauters, Literair-historisch essay over de Leeuw van Vlaenderen, in Hendrik Conscience, Edward Vanhoutte and Karel Wauters (eds), De Leeuw van Vlaenderen of de Slag der Gulden Sporen: tekstkritische editie (Tielt, 2002), 395–410.

48 Dossiers du Secrétariat de l’Institut, Box 5803/335, Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep Document Files, Brussels.

49 SCF meeting, 28 November 1982, Box 19, SAB, AMF.

50 SCF meeting, 6 February 1981, Box 18, SAB, AMF.

51 Note from Rika De Backer to the film department (Juul Anthonissen), 4 December 1981, Box 18, SAB, AMF.

52 See for example Patrick Duynslaegher, De Paarden Deden hun Best, Knack, 8 February 1984; unknown author, ‘De Leeuw van Vlaanderen’: un Film Néerlandophone Violemment Antifrançais, La Libre Belgique, 28 January, 1984; Eric Kloeck, Daar is maar Een Land dat het Mijne Kan Zijn, Andere Sinema, 57 (1984).

53 Karel Poma, interviewed by the author, Wilrijk, 1 February 2013.

54 SCF meeting, 30 September 1983, Box 20, SAB, AMF.

55 Catherine Fowler, Cinema that stays at home: the inexportable films of Belgium’s Gaston Schoukens, Edith Kiel and Jan Vanderheyden, Screen, 51(3) (2010), 256–271.

56 SCF meeting, 1 December 1972, Box 9, SAB, AMF.

57 Quoted in Ronnie Pede and Jean-Pierre Wauters, 24 Uren Collet/Drouot, Film en Televisie, 20(220–221–222) (1975).

58 SCF meeting, 19 September 1969, Box 6, SAB, AMF.

59 SCF meeting, 29 August 1975, Box 12, SAB, AMF.

60 SCF meeting, 7 October 1977, Box 14, SAB, AMF.

61 SCF meeting, 24 November 1978, Box 15, SAB, AMF.

62 SCF meeting, 11 January 1974, Box 11, SAB, AMF.

63 SCF meeting, 7 December 1979, Box 16, SAB, AMF.

64 Thomas Leitch, Twelve fallacies in contemporary adaptation theory, Criticism, 45(2) (2003), 149–171.

65 SCF meeting, 7 October 1977, Box 14, SAB, AMF.

66 Daniël Biltereyst and Sofie Van Bauwel, De Witte/Whitey, in Ernest Mathijs (ed.) The Cinema of the Low Countries (London, 2004), 49–60.

67 SCF meeting, 8 September 1972, Box 9, SAB, AMF. See also the earlier mentioned 1966 recommendation on Stegger, the Poacher.

68 SCF meeting, 11 January 1980, Box 17, SAB, AMF; SCF meeting, 16 October 1981, Box 18, SAB, AMF. This film project by Ludo Bex was not directly related to the 1985 television adaptation of Claes’ novel directed by Dré Poppe, The Vulgar History of Charelke Dop (De Vulgaire Geschiedenis van Charelke Dop).

69 SCF meeting, 2 July 1982, Box 19, SAB, AMF; SCF meeting, 17 September 1982, Box 19, SAB, AMF; SCF meeting, 7 January 1983, Box 20, SAB, AMF; SCF meeting, 4 February 1983, Box 20, SAB, AMF.

70 Karel Poma, interviewed by the author, Wilrijk, 1 February 2013.

71 SCF meeting, 5 June 1967, Box 4, SAB, AMF.

72 SCF meeting, 10 April 1987, Box 24, SAB, AMF.

73 René Adams, interviewed by the author, Gent, 11 February 2013; Karel Poma, interviewed by the author, Wilrijk, 1 February 2013.

74 SCF meeting, 21 February 1986, Box 23, SAB, AMF; SCF meeting, 18 January 1989, Box 26, SAB, AMF. Due to the cutback of the maximum government support per film and various other production related problems, several period adaptation projects were indeed aborted in spite of the allocated subsidies.

75 SCF meeting, 10 April 1981, Box 18, SAB, AMF.

76 SCF meeting, 28 June 1983, Box 20, SAB, AMF.

77 SCF meeting, 31 May 1985, Box 22, SAB, AMF.

78 Murray (2012).

79 James Caterer, The People’s Pictures: National Lottery funding and British cinema (Newcastle, 2011); Andrew Higson, Film England: culturally English filmmaking since the 1990s (London, 2011).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Gertjan Willems

Gertjan Willems is a Ph.D. fellow of the Research Foundation-Flanders (FWO) at the Centre for Cinema and Media Studies (CIMS, Department of Communication Studies) at Ghent University.