Filmmaking in recent years has not become any easier. You almost have to be naïve to pursue this craft with genuine passion, or, put simply, a little bit mad. And yet history has always been shaped by those independent minds who refused to simply follow the crowd. We may not be rewriting history ourselves, but we are stubborn. And perhaps that is exactly what is needed. Because we find ourselves in a time where it truly feels like everyone has to step up and take responsibility for the generations to come.
At DocuFilm, like many others we share similar concerns about the major societal challenges that demand a fair and fact-based conversation. The question, of course, is what can still be considered “true” in today’s media landscape. The Netherlands has been in the grip of a farming crisis for years, a subject that also refused to leave us as filmmakers. What stood out to us was how much of the public debate seemed to be missing, and how the dominant narrative often sat uneasily alongside the realities of everyday farming life.
It was this gap that became our driving force: not from the arrogance of believing we knew better, but from the need to go and see for ourselves. That journey led us to the farm of Bauke and Martsje, where reality, on a very human scale, tells a very different story from the headlines.
Life’s a bit dull without a bit of swagger
Bauke and Martsje were originally meant to take centre stage in the very first episode of our series Natuurlijk. Our intention was to portray the Dutch farmer honestly, moving beyond the framing of the nitrogen crisis.
During our research it quickly became clear: Bauke and Martsje work with a deep understanding of natural cycles. What makes them so compelling is their independent mindset; they chart their own course, far removed from the constant noise and pressure currently shaping the agricultural sector. It is this combination of groundedness, craftsmanship and an almost philosophical calm that drew us in.
So we decided to approach it differently. No fixed script, but instinct. A close friend from the very beginning always used to say: “Without a bit of bravado, life gets dull.” A simple cliché, perhaps, but one that, at that moment, was enough to get us packing the car with camera gear and heading to Friesland. No safety net.
Under normal circumstances, that is a recipe for cinematic disaster. But we trust enough in the unknown to go looking for those unexpected moments that make filmmaking what it is. A hunger for adventure, you could call it.
Bezieling en veerkracht op de boerderij
Eenmaal aangekomen maakten we kennis en begonnen we ongedwongen de eerste scènes te draaien. Het voelde al gauw alsof we elkaar jaren kenden. De sfeer was heerlijk en Bauke en Martsje waren ontzettend open en bevlogen. Het was fantastisch om hen aan het werk te zien en te luisteren naar de enorme hoeveelheid kennis die ze bezitten. Tegelijkertijd was het schrijnend om te horen met welke uitdagingen ze kampen en hoeveel veerkracht er van hen gevraagd wordt om simpelweg hun werk te doen: voedsel produceren voor ons allemaal.
De liefde en toewijding die daarmee gemoeid gaan, zijn ongekend. We waren als filmmakers enorm gegrepen door hun bezieling en de diepe rust die zij uitstralen te midden van de felle maatschappelijke discussie. In die intensieve dagen groeide er iets bijzonders: een diepe vriendschap tussen gelijkgestemden, verbonden door een gedeelde visie. Dit is exact wat wij als filmmakers willen doen: dit soort verhalen in beeld brengen en delen, zodat we er samen van kunnen leren.
Go with the flow
A few weeks after filming, our journey took an unexpected turn. A unique opportunity arose to travel to England with Peter Michel Heilman for another project (how that unfolded will be shared in a future blog). With that shift, the idea of releasing Bauke and Martsje as the first episode gradually moved into the background. The footage from Friesland was put on the proverbial shelf.
And to be completely honest, at that point there was no financial backing at all. Nothing. Zero. The shoot was originally intended as a teaser to help secure funding. But documentary filmmaking is rarely a straightforward path; you almost have to be slightly mad to keep going. Or perhaps, call it a form of healthy idealism.
While the project in England began to grow, Bauke and Martsje, and the world they represent, never really left our minds. There was something in their story that kept lingering, something that demanded to be told. Especially in a time when agriculture is so deeply polarised, we felt an urgency to look beyond headlines and political debate, and return to the reality on the ground.
Why this story needs to be told
At the start of this journey, we carried with us big ideas about truth, and about a world that is becoming increasingly shaped by image and marketing. It may sound ambitious for a documentary about two farmers in Friesland, and yet that is exactly why we felt compelled to tell this story.
Because while governments and policymakers are occupied with abstract transitions and long term frameworks, what we found with Bauke and Martsje was something far more immediate. Not marketing, but people producing food every single day, in close cooperation with nature. No grand promises, just doing the work.
Perhaps that is exactly why we need more people like Bauke and Martsje; people who are not endlessly talking about change, but quietly shaping it with their hands in the soil.
We are not backed by a major broadcaster, a television network, or a large budget. What we do have is a camera, a healthy dose of idealism, and the belief that some stories simply need to be told.
Become part of the movement
We believe stories like those of Bauke and Martsje have the power to shift how we see the world. But without the backing of major broadcasters, we rely on people who believe in the importance of honest storytelling.
If you feel this story matters too, you can help us keep the camera rolling and become part of this journey.
