EWTN's Inquisition docudrama update

 

Final shoot, soundtrack, and editing

production update

 

Setting up a shot - St Irenaeus of Lyons played by Julius Benko

 

 

 

In Slovakia we completed the last day's filming in and near the village of Domanzia in North West Slovakia. Where had great support from the village priest and the locals, and shot the last few scenes of the Inquisition docudrama. We staged the famous debate between Jewish and Christian scholars in 14th centre Spain led by St Vincent Ferrer. Also filmed was St Irenaeus writing his Against Heresies. We finished the day with a trial and simulated witch burning sequence, it is important to note that while the world since the early modern period focuses on the executions of heretics after an Inquisition trial which amounted to 5000, lamentable as this is, however the vast majority of executions during this period where of witches. Almost 150,000 of these so called witches were killed, and most of these took place in the Protestant countries of northern Europe.

St Vincent Ferrer and the debate between Jewish and Christian scholars

While in Slovakia I popped into Lux Communication our production partners to do some sound booth work and to sit with the editor. Also completed during the last month was the choir recording of the specially composed soundtrack by Mária Jašurdová sung by Chorus Salvatoris, conducted by Zuzana Buchova Holickova. We will also have a great orchestral soundtrack by Miroslav Sibik. The Cameraman Editor and myself are very excited with the opening sequence using the De Profundis by the choir and illustrations with images from the series. For the closing credits we will have another newly composed track by Miro called the Black Legend. I feel music is very important to a films overall impact and this is why I have been very specific in my requests to the composers and I am pleased with the results.

Music for the Inquisition

The Soundtrack for EWTN's new Inquisition docudrama and its recording

Filming for the Inquisition, at the court of Count Raymond of Toulouse
with cameramen Paul to the left and Michal on the right

I'm off to Slovakia next week for the last filming session, and to work with the editor Michal Benko at Lux communication the co-producers . I will hopefully also make it to one of the recording secessions for the soundtrack.

The music is very important to any film and like the Crusades before we are very pleased to have the same team. Last February I met with the composers and the conductor, Zuzana Buchová Holičková. The composer of the choral parts will again be Mária Jašurdová  and for the orchestral tracks Miro Šibík. For the Inquisition mini-series I want to create a more mysterious atmosphere and since the Inquisitions were all about repentance, penance and reconciliation, I have asked the composer to write a suite of music on the 7 penitential psalms. I'm not sure it has been attempted before, also there are many others including a hymn to St Michael.

The De Profundis being for the Open and the end credits Miro Šibík will compose a track call the Black Legend. He will be composing and recording all the orchestral tracks and I've eheard some of the tracks in early versions and they sound good already.

Recording the soundtrack for the Crusades last year.

 

Chorus Salvatoris

 

For info on the Crusades soundtrack click here

Inquisition filming update

On Location in the UK and France for EWTN's Inquisition docudrama

During late July and early August 2015 we had an intense few days of filming. Covering many locations and interviews with expert historians.

We finished the UK shoot with 3 days of drama and action sequences, locations  included Leicester Guildhall, Kenilworth Castle and Holy Cross Priory Leicester. Here are some stills:

Cathar Crusade

The Papal Legate

Filming at Kenilworth Castle

And in the South of France - Carcassonne

However all is not as it seems the walls of this famous city were only built about 150 years ago. Today its more like a Cathar Disney Land.

Carcassonne  

The Inquisition Interview

Interview for EWTN's Vaticano

Below is a clip from EWTN's Vaticano on an interview I gave during our Rome filming sequence for the Inquisition mini-series. The other clips shown are of the making of The Inquisition drama sections and are from the English shoot and involve members of the 'Crusade' re-enactment group, also shown are a few clips from our last series The Crusades.

 

Many thanks to EWTN's Rome Bureau and the producer Jan Bentz for making this clip available.

 

German version.

The Chartres Pilgrimage DVD

In Search of Christendom - The Chartres Pilgrimage, DVD

Now just released on DVD in the UK and Europe from St Clare Media - EWTN

 

£9.95 click here:  UK Europe DVD of The Chartres Pilgrimage

Or by post from Holy Cross Bookshop, 4 Brownhill Road, SE6 2EJ. Tel: 0203 4418240

In the USA from EWTN for $10 click here : USA DVD of The Chratres Pilgrimage

EWTN – Global Catholic Network, 5817 Old Leeds Road, Irondale, Al 35210 USA

DVD - The Chartres Pilgrimage

Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris draws thousands of young people for a Traditional Latin Mass on the vigil of Pentecost. Spiritually fortified, they set out on a three-day walking pilgrimage to Notre Dame de Chartres Cathedral. If you doubt that Christianity is still alive in Western Europe it is especially among the young. This is a special EWTN Documentary to see - and share.

Major themes in the documentary - young pilgrims talk about tradition, orthodoxy, pro-Life, and pro-natural family values. If you think the young want change you are right, but its back to traditional moral and family values!

Interviews by Michael J Matt, Jamie Bogle, Hervé Rolland and many of the young pilgrims themselves.

Please support this DVD so that we may make more such films.

EWTN's The Inquisition Mini-series

Rome and Italy- on location update

Myself with Cameraman/Editor Michal Benko



As I mentioned in my 12th of April post we are now in the production phase of a new docudrama mini-series on the Inquisition. This will cover all the Inquisitions and not just the Spanish.

 

Last month we were shooting in Rome where I had the honour to interview a prominent Cardinal; more about this closer to the screening date. It was also wonderful to be able to film around Rome and in some of her most famous churches.

 

With second camera/technician Pavol Kadlecik

 

While in Rome we had the good fortune to be looked after by EWTN Rome bureau. This office exists to work on EWTN's Rome programmes and help organise filming for EWTN's broadcasts from Rome. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their help with locations and contacts during our film there last month, in particular Alan Holdren, the Rome bureau's chief, whose Vaticano programmes regularly go out on EWTN.

Alan Holdren of EWTN's Vaticano

 



After Rome we travelled through the Italian countryside northwards to film the beautiful hilltop towns and lakes as we drove through the spectacular Appian mountains to Assisi. I wanted to stress how friars like the Franciscans and Dominicans, although espousing a simpler way of Christian life, were always loyal to the Church.

Filming in Florence

At the weekend we stayed at the Institute of Christ the King’s seminary at Gricigliano near Florence and took the opportunity to film for an afternoon around the city.

 

Renovation work at Gricigliano

After this we travelled to Venice to film around the city on the sea. This included a morning chugging around the canals on their Vaporettos, which are public transport water buses, filming whatever we might be able to use to accompany our Venetian Inquisition sequence.

The next shoot will be in the UK and France starting the end of this month. In the UK shoot we will have three days of filming the drama sequences, and there will be one more drama filming session in Slovakia. Also in the UK we will be filming most of the interviews with the historians as the academic year will have ended and they will have some free time.

 

DVD for In Search of Christendom - The Chartres Pilgrimage

Chartres Pilgrimage Documentary DVD

EWTN have just released the DVD for In Search of Christendom - The Chartres Pilgrimage documentary. This is the USA version and cost $10. The UK/Ireland version will hopefully be realised soon. Please help us make similar documentaries by purchasing this DVD.

To buy this DVD click here: In Search of Christendom - The Chartres Pilgrimage DVD

Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral draws thousands of young people for a Traditional Latin mass on the vigil of Pentecost. Spiritually fortified, they set out on a three-day walking pilgrimage to Notre Dame de Chartres Cathedral. If you doubt that Christianity is still alive in Western Europe, this is a special EWTN Documentary to see - and share. 1 disc / 30 minutes (CC).

Last November on my first post on this documentary I said. "If I have one prayer for this documentary it would be that once the documentary is released on DVD, orthodox and traditional Catholics should buy it and send it to the Pope and the Synod Fathers on the Family, and to anyone who believes that young Catholics want change. For young Catholics want authentic Catholic teachings on the faith and morality."