Working With Monty Halls Filming the Channel 4 Series 'Freedom Trails'

The 4th programme in the Channel 4 series Freedom Trails was broadcast on 7th October 2017. It was produced by Seadog Productions and followed Monty Halls trekking across the Pyrenees from France to Spain.

Monty Halls ready to go to work.

Monty was walking in the footsteps of the brave men and women who crossed the mountains to escape Nazi occupied Europe and oppression during World War 2. We learnt about what it was like for them on the run and about the brave man and women who sheltered them, fed them, clothed them and guided them to safety.

Initial Seadog Productions team in June 2016 filming for the teaser trailer to send to television companies to get the commission to film the series. 

A small team from Seadog Productions, including Monty Halls, first came to the Pyrenees for several days in June 2016. I was a 'fixer' helping with finding locations and sorting out logistics. The footage shot led to a teaser film that was sent to the major TV channels. Channel 4 were the first to reply and later commissioned the series.

A larger team returned to film in the Saint Girons area in February 2017 (completing many interviews that were never used in the finished documentary) and again in June 2017 for the filming of the trek across the Pyrenees.

Behind every great presenter there is a great production company and behind every great production company there is a great support team. Day 1, June 2017

As well as the crew filming Monty, Pyrenees Mountain Adventure looked after logistics and guiding.

Before the arrival of Monty and the film crew, George Manley and myself spent 2 days checking on snow conditions on the approach to the border. We were checking that conditions were not dangerous. Mid June is early in the season in this part of the Pyrenees.

'Big' George Manley checking snow conditions on the approach to the border.

There was enough snow to make the shots look exciting but not enough to make it dangerous for Monty and the team.

Big smiles from me on day 2 of the route recce. Enough snow for some great footage but not enough to cause problems for Monty and the crew.

Me and George also checked on the food drop I had made with the help of Paul Debons at the Refuge d'Espugues a week earlier. He worked as a friend accepting no payment as did Gerard Cassagne who did 2 days of portering.

Actual filming began with fine weather and progressed well although George Manley was not on top form because he had a stomach bug. Two porters Lee Sharp and George Cassagne helped carry kit so as to not overload the crew who were already carrying large loads.

Gerard Cassagne one of the porters with the biggest rucksack you have ever seen!

It's off to work we go....

'Little' George the second cameraman.

In the evening of Day 1, (Big) George Manley retired early at the Refuge d'Espugues still not feeling well and (Little) George the second cameraman, had also begun to feel unwell.

'Little' George was ill during the night and the following morning the decision was made that he should descend with 'Big' George to the nearest road where he could get taxi transport to Saint Girons. 'Big' George would meet us all again the following day at the Refuge des Estagnous but the trek was over for the second cameraman.

Rich the Directer of Photography

Tom the Directer

Filming progressed well on Day 2 with some awesome drone footage filmed by Rich the DOP (Directer of Photography) - that's main cameraman to you and me! Rich, Sonic the Sound Man and Tom the Directer worked well together with Monty but it did take a long time with lots of retakes to get the perfect footage. Katy the fixer kept smiling and kept everyone calm.

Sonic the Sound Man

Katy the Fixer

Happily the way the trek had been planned, there was the time available to get all the footage the crew and Monty wanted. A great evening was spent at the Refuge des Estagnous where we were well looked after by Laurent and Stéphan who had planned to be shut between the 2 opening weekends of the season but opened especially for us. All the crew enjoyed proper mattresses and proper food after sleeping mats and dehydrated food packets the evening before.

Top lake with George Manley on the recce.

Day 3 began early as this was the longest of the 3. Big George met up with us as we arrived at the Round Lake. An even earlier start for him meant he was able to meet up with the team before the ascent on the snow to the border. The top lake was partly frozen and looked great and most of the ascent to the border was on snow which made it look spectacular.

The final approach to the border.

From the border, a long descent into Spain, a beer in a café that Monty bought me (like he promised he would) to celebrate the end of the trek (which was filmed but like so much of the footage, never used) and then on to the Refugi de Fornet where we arrived at 10pm! I had rung ahead with the sattelite 'phone because there is no mobile coverage and the food was waiting for us as we arrived. Like at the Refuge des Estagnous we ate well and were well looked after by René and Tatiana.Their pet Patou was the centre of attention - nearly upstaging Monty (but not quite.)

The end of the trek. A happy Monty, film crew and Pyrenees Mountain Adventure support team.

If you would like to walk the Freedom Trail/Chemin de la Liberté or want more information about it, please see the Pyrenees Mountain Adventure website
www.pyreneesmountainadventure.com
You will find a contact page or you can contact me at
pyreneesmountainadventure@hotmail.com

I look forward to hearing from you.

All the best,

Paul

Paul Williams
Pyrenees Mountain Adventure

On This Day 10th February 1939

General Franco seals the Spanish/French border in the Eastern Pyrenees to stop the escape of Republican soldiers and sympathisers in the aftermath of the fall of Barcelona.

The Spanish Civil War was fought from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939 between the Republicans, who were loyal to the established Spanish republic, and the Nationalists, a rebel group led by General Francisco Franco who had links with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.

By late 1938 the Nationalists had the upper hand and they launched an offensive against Republican controlled Catalonia and its capital Barcelona.

Towards the end of January 1939 the Republican forces in Barcelona found themselves out numbered six to one, short of food (according to one estimate the daily ration down to to 100 grams of lentils) and subject to daily bombing raids by the Nationalist air force. The defence of the city was impossible and on 26th January 1939 the troops of General Franco occupied Barcelona.  

Nationalists Troops in Barcelona on 26 January 1939

The fall of Barcelona caused a massive exodus of people away from the encroaching Nationalist army of Franco towards the only safe haven available - France.  They were ill prepared for the wintry conditions and progress was also made hazardous by attacks from Nationalist aircraft. This migration has become known as the Retirada (from the Spanish for 'retreat'.)

Initially the French border remained closed, the French authorities fearing an influx of revolutioary communists. Thousands gathered at border checkpoints - there were no open borders then but armed guards at border crossing points to check papers. 

Refugees Waiting to Enter France at le Perhus

The border was finally opened by the French on 28 January 1939, but only for civilian refugees. Soldiers who had fought with the Republican army had to wait until 5th February to be allowed to enter into France.

It is estimated that from 28th January to 9th February, as many as 500,000 men, woman and children crossed the Pyrenees, eventually passing into France.

Freedom Trails

Some through regular border crossings, like le Perthus, where their entry would have been regulated and recorded, others across high mountain passes where there was no official control of movement. 500,000 leaving behind their homes, the majority of their possessions and their work.

On February 10th, Franco had the border shut reducing the number of refugees fleeing although those determined enough could still pass over the Pyrenees on the harder mountain paths.

Once the refugees had made the difficult journey and crossed the border, things did not immediately improve for the majority. The cold, hunger, uncertainty, fear and death remained. The French government had envisaged an influx of refugees but nothing on such a huge scale and found themselves overwhelmed and unable to cope. The stop gap solution consisted of internment of refugees in 'concentration' camps hastily built on the beaches at places like Argelès and Rivesaltes. Initially mostly barbed-wire enclosures on the sand, without basic shelter, sanitary or cooking facilities. Refugees slept on the sand and had to build the barracks that offered protection from the elements themselves. 

The Camp at Argeles sur Mer

The Camp at Argeles sur Mer

Conditions were very harsh. Lack of shelter, food, sanitation and clean drinking water led to many deaths. Some estimates put the number at 10,000. 

Memorial to Those Refugees Who Died at Argeles sur Mer

Despair and frustration at the conditions and their treatment from the French authorities led some refugees to choose to return to Franco’s New Spain rather than stay in France. For those who remained in exile – some 200,000 – there was the Second World War to deal with. Some  joined the French Resistance to fight the Nazi occupiers.  They hoped to hasten the defeat of Nazi Germany so that the post WWII democracies would overthrow the Franco regime. The Nazis were defeated but Franco remained in power until 1975.

Many foreigners fought in the Spanish Civil War on both the 'left' and 'right'. Laurie Lee, the author ('Cider With Rosie') fought for the Republicans and wrote about his experience in the book 'A Moment of War' (1991). To get to Spain involved crossing the Pyrenees which Lee accomplished in December 1937 during a snowstorm! George Orwell also fought in the war as did Ernest Hemingway.

Laurie Lee 'A Moment of War' (1991)
George Orwell 'Homage to Catalonia'
Museu Memorial de l'Exili, La Junquera. A museum devoted entirely to the Retirada
Robert Capa photographs of the Argelès Internment Camp
Documentary (in French) Many good photographs and footage