a report by Brian Saberton FACI

It all started with a suggestion from Dorothy Speirs. “Why don’t we”, she said at a SAM committee meeting, “invite WillyVan der Linden to come over and give us a talk?” We quickly agreed that this was a wonderful idea, Willy was delighted to accept the invitation, and the date was fixed for the 7th October 2007. This was to be a full day meeting, something new for SAM, and we wanted to find a suitable venue that would offer tiered seating, a buffet lunch and attractive surroundings. This proved to be a problem. Many venues we looked at were either too expensive, the wrong size, couldn’t offer the catering or were unavailable on the day. Countless days were spent trying to find somewhere but eventually, when we were beginning to wonder if we would ever get a suitable theatre, Dorothy Borrie, the SAM secretary, found The Tolbooth in Stirling, an arts and music venue in a converted building that had once been the old town court and jail.

The organisation of the event involved everyone on the SAM committee. Ken McRonald was appointed chief projectionist with myself assisting, the catering was agreed and publicity arranged. All of SAM’s affiliated clubs were contacted and Ken made a promo video that we showed at SAM events and posted on the IAC web-site.

So that we could make our own choice of what films we would like to include in the show, Willy sent us a selection of tapes including his own work as well as movies made by other Belgian film makers. Ken and I drafted up a programme for each of the four planned viewing sessions and this was agreed with Willy. We visited the theatre one morning just prior to the event to check out the equipment (we were using the theatre’s projection and sound system) and to ensure that everything would work on the day. This rehearsal paid dividends as we were able to iron out a couple of problems in advance of the show.

On the morning of the event it was a beautiful day (isn’t it always when we are watching films?), Stirling looked particularly attractive in the bright sunshine, and there was an excited buzz about the theatre as we set up the equipment and the audience started to arrive. The theatre technicians were exceptionally helpful and in no time at all we had the equipment set up, a lectern, microphones, table and two chairs had magically appeared and roving mikes had been organised for the question and answer session. It was great – we actually had a little time to spare! We were using a DVD and mini DV player connected via Ken’s mixing console, with the video output fed to the theatre’s projector and the audio line going to the theatre’s sound system at the rear of the hall. This enabled Ken to adjust the sound from the front of the hall. The fading of lights was seamlessly organised by the theatre technical crew.

Excitement was mounting as the audience enjoyed a coffee in the bar but soon it was time to begin and Pat Menmuir introduced Willy, now affectionately nick-named Oor Willy (after the cartoon character in the Sunday Post newspaper). The audience included members of affiliated clubs, individual members of SAM and friends. From the IAC we had Michael and Linda Gough, Brian and Alice Dunckley, and other friends.

Willy took to the floor and enthralled the large audience from the very start.  Born in Antwerp, he had pursued a career in teaching before becoming an educational adviser at the European School in Brussels. His career as a film maker started as a narrator and commentary writer for a friend but he soon began to make his own films. Willy explained that he has a great love of the British Isles and Ireland but said that his favourite country is Scotland. He recalled his first visit when at the age of 18 he climbed Ben Nevis. He has since visited Scotland on many occasions and, appropriately, the first film in the programme was “Hebrides Overture”, a lyrical film about the island of Staffa and Fingals Cave. The programme continued with more of Willy’s movies plus contributions from Urbain Appeltans and Magda Verbist, Douglas Boswell, Daniel De Vos, Tony Jacobs and Anton Klee and Eric Vanoverschelde.  Among Willy’s own personal favourite films in the programme were “Breendonk” a dramatised documentary about a POW camp, “Until You Smile”, the story of English folk singer Brian Higbee and “An Irish Moment”, a history of Ireland.

“Hannah”, by Urbain Appeltans, the deserved winner of the Daily Mail trophy at BIAFF in 2006, concluded the screening in fine style and then, to round off the event, SAM Chairman, Pat Menmuir, conducted an interview with Willy and took questions from the audience.

Pat asked Willy what, for him, was involved in obtaining such a high quality of film making and using “Faithfully Yours”, his documentary about Charles Dickens, as an example he explained that this film had taken two and a half years to make and he had used a range of locations some of which were real whilst others were created using a blue screen process with the backgrounds added from photographs. For a funeral scene he used a background picture of Westminster Abbey and enlisted the help of a member of his club, who happens to be an undertaker, to provide a coffin and pall bearers. All of his films are edited on Casablanca, a system that he loves. Willy went on to discuss his current film about the Battle of Passchendaele and explained that at a recent commemorative ceremony he was the only film maker to be allowed to film the Queens of both the UK and Belgium; even the BBC was excluded. I think that what came through very strongly is that attention to detail is one of the keys for success and if you need particular facilities for a film don’t be afraid to ask as assistance will often be willingly provided if you go about things in a polite and sensitive way.

The audience was impressed not just with Willy’s infectious enthusiasm and gentle humour but also with the sheer quality of his work and diversity of subject matter. The elements that stood out for me were the exquisite photography, the impeccable choice of music, the superbly written commentaries and the careful attention to detail. I thought that all the films had a truly cinematic quality that shone from the screen and feel certain that everyone in the hall will have learned something from the day and have been inspired to achieve greater things. Dorothy Speirs presented Willy with an inscribed quaich (a Scots drinking vessel) as memento of his visit and as she said, in the best Scots tradition, Haste ye back Willy! A sentiment echoed by everyone in the hall in thanks for a truly memorable day.