Filming of  "Zone Libre"  (an adaptation of a play by  Jean-Claude Grumberg set during the Second World War about a  Jewish family befriended by a local paysan) came to Grand Madieu and environs last Wednesday.
When the Marshes in Charente were first told that our fields and a local chemin would be used to film some of the scenes in Zone Libre we were a little excited.   Wednesday finally arrived the weather was perfect, big sunny skies and temperatures into the mid 20'sC. We watched from the top of the milking parlour steps as the large white vans arrived at the lane leading to Panissaud and parked in our neighbours field. A breakdown lorry arrived carrying a  vintage yellow and black bus with designer dirt, which was swiftly unloaded .
When Hannah & I went to check the in calf heifers in the fountain field we watched the bus making an attempt at driving up the chemin, we wondered if the engine would last the day as it roared and struggled to make the incline.
We stood and watched for a while as the scene unfolded and was shot, there was a camera man in our front field and two actors. Remy's field on the other side of the road was filled with several cameras and their operators.
As the day unfolded a small tented village was set up at Maine Michaud with several technicians based in residents gardens. There was a field kitchen and a running buffet for the cast. Remy & Fabian were very busy with their tractors moving  equipment around for the film crew.
	Hannah & I went to do the weekly shopping expecting to be able to see more of the action on our chemin and in our field when we got back. However by the time we had unloaded the shopping, the girls had come home from school and  it was time for lunch. After we had eaten we went to find the action but everything was packed away  at the fountain and all was quiet. We made our way along the road and saw that there was a black vintage car on the viaduct so we made our way to Maine Michaud where everything had stopped for lunch. We were able to walk along the viaduct and take some snaps of the car with its own designer mud.
We were admiring the view and saw that we had an extra addition in our field by the side of the river. This new addition was very lively and running around having been abandoned by it's mother Tia, who did not appear to have a clue what had happened to her, she seemed frightened by this "mad hatter". With reluctance we left the viaduct and went to find Andrew so that we could bring the calf and Tia up to the farm.
	The calf was caught by some agile running from Andrew and firmly attached to the bucket of the tractor. Tia did not show any interest in her calf and thought that it was something to run away from.
It was with great skill that we girls managed to herd Tia  to the gate where Andrew was waiting to let her across into the other field, everything went smoothly, we shut the gate congratulating ourselves on a job well done. When she then realised that she was on her own and parted from her friends, so she  doubled back on us and walked through the none existent fencing that the film crew and taken down and very kindly had not replaced! She then broke the fence back  in to the other field and trotted away to join her friends. We managed to bring her back to the gate a number of times but she was not having any of it. We made one final attempt of  walking her back from the farthest boundary of the field to the gate we were all a tight circle all intent on standing our ground against her, however she made a fast dash, I had momentarily glimpsed her eyes and saw the intent and before I could tell Hannah to move and let her past she had bowled a very brave Hannah over and run off down the field. Hannah was unable to move and was in floods of tears, shaking with shock. I ran my hands over her legs and with a quick examination did not think that she had broken anything but Hannah's knee had swollen up. Andrew brought the car in to the field and we gently lifted her in to the front seat. It was decided to take her straight to the Hospital at Confolens where X-rays were taken and the doctor confirmed no bones broken but just some soft tissue damage. By the time we returned from Confolens the filming had finished and every one was very disappointed to have missed it.