For a week and half, we had time off to shoot our documentaries. In pairs or threes, we traveled to places like Berlin, Madrid, and Arranmore Island (a small Irish island) to film our documentaries on a variety of topics. The first few days of our break I spent in Bonn, preparing and shooting some scenes in the local comic book shop for my documentary about German nerd culture. I got to geek out and meet some really cool people. We even interviewed a German professor who was particularly interested in American comics from 1930s and 1940s. I came away with some great shots and a Captain America comic.
I spent the following week in England helping my friend and fellow student Lia film her documentary, as I’d shot almost all of mine at that point. Her documentary is about deromanticizing life in Jane Austen’s time and featuring herself as the protagonist. It was a lot of fun to shoot, although a little difficult and frustrating at times.
Lia and I had to get up bright and early on a Monday morning to take our train through the “Chunnel” to London. Wrestling with suitcases and camera and sound equipment was definitely challenging. But it was worth it as soon as we pulled in at Kings Cross Station and saw the city around us. We checked in at our hostel, got some lunch (fish and chips and a real hamburger!) and explored a little bit. Then Lia and I took the tube to Piccadilly Circus, where we met some friends of her family for dinner. Afterwards, we saw a performance of Phantom of the Opera at her Majesty’s Theater, which was fantastic.
We stayed in London the first part of Tuesday and visited some of
the popular tourist locations, getting some footage of the London Eye,
Big Ben, and all the people walking around. Then we took the train to
Oxford and wandered around there for a while, finding an awesome little
shop that sold quills and parchment, several bookstores, and a shop that
makes the best cookies in the world. We had the privilege of attending a
lecture at one of the colleges and had a lovely dinner with the
professors. From Oxford, we took the train and taxi to an enormous estate of an English lord. Lia’s family friends just happened to rent a room in this old manor from the Regency period. As soon as we saw the interior, we freaked out. It was gorgeous and had some of the original paintings and furniture. Lia also tried on the Regency costume she’d be wearing for the next couple days, which looked adorable. We spent the night on the floor, which was surprisingly comfortable.
The next morning, we shot on the lush grounds of the estate and ended up befriending some horses. Then we filmed the interior and Lia walking around in her Regency costume. It felt like we’d traveled back to the time of corsets, fans, and grand balls. It was an amazing and surreal experience. We reluctantly left the manor to catch our train to Bath, one of the towns where Jane Austen had lived in her short lifetime.
Lia and I walked around the town center, filming the imposing abbey and the Pump Room, a restaurant popular both today and in Austen’s time. After dinner, we took the opportunity to see a movie in English (since it was too dark to film) before heading to bed.
On Thursday, we headed straight to the Fashion Museum in Bath, where we tried on replica corsets and looked at dresses from the period. We also got in some shopping, ate Cornish pasties (delicious!), and visited the Crescent, a popular hangout for ladies and gentlemen in Regency times. There was also a lovely pond with ducks and swans nearby that was the perfect backdrop for Lia’s white muslin gown and spencer jacket.
The Jane Austen museum was our last stop. Lia and I just had to grab a cup of tea at the tearoom above the museum before we took our tour. I learned a lot about Jane Austen and what it was like in her day (not that great, especially for women). We got an interview with a very helpful museum guide and purchased our Austen souvenirs before we left. Lia got all the shots she needed for her documentary, and we celebrated with a game of football in one of the local bars.
Our last day in England we spent taking the train from Bath back to London and hanging out in Kings Cross Station. We transferred through Brussels and finally made it back to Bonn, which definitely felt like home by that point. I think that all the students would agree when I say that shooting week was hectic and a lot of work, but totally fun and worth it.
Caroline Bartlett
