Tot Inkeer / Le Retour Sur Soi-Même

A medieval battlefield, a dark castle and an unknown rider braving the night. That is the beginning of the short film ‘The Road of Repentance,’ in which the story of Saint Gerlachus is told before going on his crusade to the holy land.

In 2015 a group of filmmakers under the lead of director Vincent Konings got together to formulate the first ideas regarding a short film. From these plans the project 'The Road of Repentance' came into existence. 'The Road of Repentance' aims to show, through different storylines, that a captivating history precedes the legend that is now known of Saint Gerlachus.

Saint Gerlachus was a Dutch knight, hermit and saint who lived in the 12th century near Houthem (south of the Netherlands). The life of Saint Gerlachus is described in the hagiography Vita Beati Gerlaci Eremytae, written around 1227, decades after his death. Although fragments of his life are known, much of his life remains shrouded in mystery...

Making this medieval film is not a nostalgic look into the past. We firmly believe that this 12th century story exhibits many parallels with the present. We live in a time in which (self)reflection and having a personal sense of purpose are becoming increasingly important. This makes the subject matter of the film timeless and universal.

Our team consists of young professionals, specialized in film, history and storytelling. Recently, the Limburg (Region in the South of the Netherlands) Movie Advice Committee fulfilled a funding request for 'The Road of Repentance' with the highest possible score and gave the advice to support the realization of the film. “The submission for 'The Road of Repentance' shows great ambition by the maker and is a clear next step in the development of the submitter […] Since the plan shows great value for talent development and the request was carefully thought out, the committee chooses to support this production […].”

A small crew filmed the teaser and promo for the film in order to introduce Saint Gerlachus and the atmosphere and setting surrounding his story. The teaser and promo have largely been realized using our own time, money and equipment, but further development of this project is not possible without the help of others.

Although we try to keep costs to a minimum, we cannot avoid certain expenses such as the renting of professional equipment, crafting authentic looking clothing, remunerations for using historic shooting sites and the creation of décor pieces and props.

We are grateful for the appreciation and support we have received so far and are more than ready to start the project! The casting is almost done, the locations have been chosen and the crew is ready to start making the costumes, decors and props. 

With this crowdfunding we hope to cross the last financial hurdle towards realizing this film.

For this we need your help!

Would you like to be a critical part in the realization of this project, help spread the unexplained story of Saint Gerlachus and be immersed in an epic tale of battles, knights, medieval castles and dark forests? Then support our campaign! 

On behalf of the cast and crew: Thank you!