While you're not doing anything else ... help identify this church!

[Bert45]

If you're not too busy, I'd like to ask you to take a look at the church where Joost rings the bell near the end of the film "The Way". It is the last location I would like to identify, having identified all the others that I want to identify. If you know where it is, please put me out of my misery and tell me. It's at 1:48:09 to 1:48:29 in the copy of the film on Youtube:

[There are no subtitles in Spanish or any other language.] I have tried contacting the Spanish location director -- no luck. I have a copy of the script and list of locations, but both were prepared before the film was made, and this scene is not mentioned in either. Surely somebody knows where it is?

 

[naplesdon]

Agree, or like Joost, I could say it was just a cemetery in Spain which is pretty obvious.

 

[RJM]

I have no idea where that church and cemetery is and hope you have luck identifying it, but thanks nonetheless for posting that video of The Way because right now I am not doing anything else and am watching it again...lol

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

This quest of @Bert45's for the church's location has been brought up on the forum before. I remember from somewhere that the scene was actually the last one filmed. Possibly it could be on the drive from Muxia back to Santiago.

 

[TSchulen]

From the context of the movie, it looks like it's between Cruz de Ferro and O'Cebreiro - although there are some scenes filmed out of sequence. I remember walking through a few cemetery / chapels like this along the way. I'm not sure if they were parish churches though.

 

[Dojo]

The one in the first scene - I think it is Triacastela.

 

[CWBuff]

I have no idea where that church and cemetery is and hope you have luck identifying it, but thanks nonetheless for posting that video of The Way because right now I am not doing anything else and am watching it again...lol

its like a rabbit's hole that sucks you in, right?
right before the world went on a Pause button hiatus my brother started really grilling me about The Camino.
I don't think he truly grasped my "I am going on a PILGRIMAGE" statement and thought that I'd be coasting through "Flanders, Portugal & Spain" (OK I am planning to do Frances but just couldn't resist ) hooked up with a Fully organised Tour staying at Holiday Inns and meals included.
After my full explanation as to what it is I AM hoping to do and accomplish, he (being an AWESOME older brother) informed that that if EVER I shall find myself in times of trouble - all I got to do is call (heck, and he'd take off from US with quite a limited knowledge\use of English..never mind Spanish and French..). and he'll fly over and get me...
But I digress.
So, as part of that explanation I told him about the movie and promised that I'd send him the link (probably the same one as above as its the most widely accessible on YouTube)
of COURSE I spent something like 2-3 days in a row re-watching it over and over....

 

[henrythedog]

through "Flanders, Portugal & Spain"

Surely just ’over the hills and far away’?

 

[Bert45]

The one in the first scene - I think it is Triacastela.

What makes you think that, Dojo? It is nothing like the church in Triacastela. Have you seen the church in Triacastela? There are three 'scenes' from 1:48:09 to 1:48:29. It's the same church in the first and third scene. I'm pretty sure the middle scene, with James Nesbitt, is at the same place. Yes, it should be between Cruz de Ferro and O Cebreiro, but I walked the CF from Triacastela in 2018 and looked carefully at every church/chapel on the way and I didn't see it.

 

[Saint Mike II]

This quest of @Bert45's for the church's location has been brought up on the forum before. I remember from somewhere that the scene was actually the last one filmed. Possibly it could on the drive from Muxia back to Santiago.

Hola Rick if you have the DVD the extra special subject section we are actually told that yes this was the last scene filmed. But as for a location I had a feeling that it was between Melide and Ribadiso, but its only a feeling.

Given that it was the last film scene shot and that Joost had to (almost literally) jump on a plane to go directly to film "The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo" (the English language version shot from Nov 2010) then somewhere west of Santiago does make sense.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Hola Rick if you have the DVD the extra special subject section we are actually told that yes this was the last scene filmed.

Thanks for the reminder Mike. Yes, that is where I found that out. While I've seen the movie many times but all but one or two times have been when donating platelets where the movie itself takes the same amount of time as the donation. I did finally view the DVDs extras last year on my own TV.

I wonder if there was a photographer taking still pictures during filming. If so, maybe the EXIF data on the picture could pinpoint the church. The cine-photographer might have done this himself before setting up the video cameras.

 

[Bert45]

From the context of the movie, it looks like it's between Cruz de Ferro and O'Cebreiro - although there are some scenes filmed out of sequence. I remember walking through a few cemetery / chapels like this along the way. I'm not sure if they were parish churches though.

As well as one or two scenes shot out of sequence – the Orisson one is well-known – there are scenes shot off the CF,as when Tom gets drunk in Haro, and where they are in Bargota after Torres del Rio. I suspect that the church/chapel is off the CF.

 

[jsalt]

Possibly it could on the drive from Muxia back to Santiago.

Very possibly. I walked from Santiago to Muxia in Feb this year and did not pass a cemetery like this one, although I have seen several on the camino that are similar. It must be off the camino or somebody would have recognised it by now.

 

[Bert45]

Hola Rick if you have the DVD the extra special subject section we are actually told that yes this was the last scene filmed. But as for a location I had a feeling that it was between Melide and Ribadiso, but its only a feeling.

I have the DVD, or should I say I have a DVD. I have watched the interviews with Sheen and Estevez, and 'Movie Moments', which are the only extras on my copy, and I heard no mention of the last scene filmed at all, no mention of Joost ringing the bell. My copy has no 'extra special subject' section. Is there a copy of that section on Youtube?

 

[Saint Mike II]

Hola @Bert45 . I bought the DVD (gee it must be 5 or 6 years back) from an authorised supplier (maybe Amazon). After the movie there are a number of "extras", one of which is a three way interview/commentary between Martin Sheen/Emilio Estevez//David Alexanian (one of the Executive Producers). Its just their voices but they discuss how each scene in the movie was both conceived and filmed; who each actor is and even the music and this is where we learn that "our church" scene was the last filmed. I expect that the DVD is now out of print which is why I cherish mine so much - I think I have played it somewhere between 15 & 20 times - with all its faults I still love it. Cheers

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I expect that the DVD is now out of print which is why I cherish mine so much - I think I have played it somewhere between 15 & 20 times - with all its faults I still love it.

I too, have a six year old copy of the movie "The Way", and also cherish mine. I have loaned it out to family and friends before my first camino in 2015 and its return was a high priority for me! I have only watched it about 4 times...I must be slipping. I think today being Easter will be a good day to dust off the cobwebs and watch it again.

 

[RENSHAW]

Looking at the actual scene in the cemetery I notice that there is a lot more foliage and there is lichen on the trees , poles and rocks. The walking leading up to the cemetery scenes are totally out of sequence , I even noted what looks to be a stretch on the Roman road leading up to Lorca , Navarra - that's the best I can do.

 

[Bert45]

Hola @Bert45 . I bought the DVD (gee it must be 5 or 6 years back) from an authorised supplier (maybe Amazon). After the movie there are a number of "extras", one of which is a three way interview/commentary between Martin Sheen/Emilio Estevez//David Alexanian (one of the Executive Producers). Its just their voices but they discuss how each scene in the movie was both conceived and filmed; who each actor is and even the music and this is where we learn that "our church" scene was the last filmed. I expect that the DVD is now out of print which is why I cherish mine so much - I think I have played it somewhere between 15 & 20 times - with all its faults I still love it. Cheers

Your version must be different from mine, Mike. I just searched on Youtube and found an interview with Alexanian and Estevez (not three-way), but they didn't mention the church/chapel. I also watched the next video that Yt threw up, with Anthony Picarello. In one of them, not sure which, Estevez said that they shot the film in sequence. I don't expect that that is 100% correct, but if it is 99% correct then the church/chapel I need to identify is probably between Cruz de Ferro and O Cebreiro. I don't use Facebook or any other social media, but if anyone reading this knows how I could contact Martin Sheen, Emilio or Taylor Estevez, please PM me. If is true that the scene at the church where Joost rings the bell was the last sequence that they filmed, then they obviously did not shoot the film exactly in sequence.

 

[Bert45]

Looking at the actual scene in the cemetery I notice that there is a lot more foliage and there is lichen on the trees , poles and rocks. The walking leading up to the cemetery scenes are totally out of sequence , I even noted what looks to be a stretch on the Roman road leading up to Lorca , Navarra - that's the best I can do.

Hi, Renshaw. Can you let me know the time in the Yt film where you saw what you think was the Roman Road? It looked cold when they were at Cruz de Ferro. Does anyone know the dates they were at certain places, e.g. Cruz de Ferro and O Cebreiro? There is a tower visible in the distance over Jack's (James Nesbitt's) right shoulder in the cemetery scene – does anybody recognise it?

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Surely just ’over the hills and far away’?

HERE's an earlier version, 100 years earlier, of what you're thinking about and, if you'd like some books that connect that part of history with the part of Spain along the Frances then try the G A Henty books - a prolific writer, you'll see what I mean if you go to Project Gutenberg
I recommend "Under Wellington's Command" and "With Moore at Corunna"


#Here's forty shillings on the drum . . .

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Estevez said that they shot the film in sequence. I don't expect that that is 100% correct, but if it is 99% correct then the church/chapel I need to identify is probably between Cruz de Ferro and O Cebreiro.

I think that is unlikely. There is a change of weather shown with the actors wearing less warm clothes. The scenes at Cruz de Ferro and O Cebreiro show cold, windy conditions.

 

[Damienw]

I have a feeling that the particular scene was shot out of sequence after that shown of o’cebriero.

I think i may have have seen the cemetery at the village of Hospital AFTER O’Cebriero and before the descent to Tricastela and before the Big Statue of St James by the side of the road.

Although the day was cold, wet, windy and very misty I don’t remember the details of that day except for the relief of arriving in Tricastela!

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Hola @Bert45 . I bought the DVD (gee it must be 5 or 6 years back) from an authorised supplier (maybe Amazon). After the movie there are a number of "extras", one of which is a three way interview/commentary between Martin Sheen/Emilio Estevez//David Alexanian (one of the Executive Producers). Its just their voices but they discuss how each scene in the movie was both conceived and filmed; who each actor is and even the music and this is where we learn that "our church" scene was the last filmed. I expect that the DVD is now out of print which is why I cherish mine so much - I think I have played it somewhere between 15 & 20 times - with all its faults I still love it. Cheers

I have a DVD (copyright 2010) with the three way commentary accessed as the first of the special features on the menu. If this is selected I get the video of the movie but the audio of the commentary. As Mike has indicated, they say the cemetery scene was the last to be filmed.

I played around with the DVD menu and I think the easiest way to get to the scene and have commentary is to use the top menu's scene select to get to scene 13, run it but quickly go to the top menu again to pick the commentary feature, turn it on and then tell the menu to play. The scene appears fairly soon afterwards

I do not see an ISBN number on either the DVD or its case. The case has a UPC number of 796019823623.

 

[Delphinoula]

Just a thought tried to contact the movie makers? For me the movie is not a real thing but a parable about a parent learning about himself and his child. So it may not be really their but chosen for its photogenic qualities.
Jeff about the peninsula wars I enjoy the sharp series very well researched by Bernard Cornwell and with a historic note at the end. 20 years ago I wrote him about the hideous book covers of his books in the penny bin at Woolworth and he answered me handwritten that unfortunately he has not much say in this. Last Camino I passed Trafalgar light tower and of course Hornblower and Sharp where kind of walking side by side with me.

 

[Kathor1]

There is a tower visible in the distance over Jack's (James Nesbitt's) right shoulder in the cemetery scene – does anybody recognise it?

@Bert45, I am happy to give this another shot. The black tall building (tower?) in the background is one clue that I've not been able to explore further although I tried at previous occasions. The area looks hilly to me, another clue, and they are not in the valley. It is news to me that this scene was the last scene that they shot, ie that must have been after they shot in Muxia?

What could perhaps be useful is a word-for-word transcript of the part of the three-way conversation on the DVD that relates to this scene. There may be other clues in that conversation that have not yet been explored.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I don't use Facebook or any other social media, but if anyone reading this knows how I could contact Martin Sheen, Emilio or Taylor Estevez, please PM me.

I Googled: martin sheen agent contact information

Most sites wanted some form of payment to get even an agency's address. However, I did see one site that gave an address for the show that he is currently working on.

★ Martin Sheen Address

Provides a mailing address for requesting autographs and sending fan mail to Martin Sheen

fanmail.biz

 

[Bert45]

HERE's an earlier version, 100 years earlier, of what you're thinking about and, if you'd like some books that connect that part of history with the part of Spain along the Frances then try the G A Henty books - a prolific writer, you'll see what I mean if you go to Project Gutenberg
I recommend "Under Wellington's Command" and "With Moore at Corunna"
#Here's forty shillings on the drum . . .

I try to appreciate any and all contributions, Jeff, but how does this help me to find my church/chapel?

 

[Bert45]

I too, have a six year old copy of the movie "The Way", and also cherish mine. I have loaned it out to family and friends before my first camino in 2015 and its return was a high priority for me! I have only watched it about 4 times...I must be slipping. I think today being Easter will be a good day to dust off the cobwebs and watch it again.

Hi, Chrissy. Well, this post has done some good then! Btw, if it helps at all, the three scenes in the cemetery occur after Santa Catalina de Somoza (1:48:05)

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Hi, Chrissy. Well, this post has done some good then! Btw, if it helps at all, the three scenes in the cemetery occur after Santa Catalina de Somoza (1:48:05)

We argued this before Bert but I say that our pilgrims are walking the wrong way at Santa Catalina and are actually on a nearby road, not the Camino. But it is so nearby that the cameraman is on the Camino.

Also Bert, I sent you an address in a PM.

 

[RENSHAW]

Hi, Renshaw. Can you let me know the time in the Yt film where you saw what you think was the Roman Road?

1:47:50

 

[tpmchugh]

If you're not too busy, I'd like to ask you to take a look at the church where Joost rings the bell near the end of the film "The Way". It is the last location I would like to identify, having identified all the others that I want to identify. If you know where it is, please put me out of my misery and tell me. It's at 1:48:09 to 1:48:29 in the copy of the film on Youtube:

[There are no subtitles in Spanish or any other language.] I have tried contacting the Spanish location director -- no luck. I have a copy of the script and list of locations, but both were prepared before the film was made, and this scene is not mentioned in either. Surely somebody knows where it is?

Vague memory of a little church and cemetary outside Ferreiros where the bell was on the outside. Cant find a picture of it in my albums though. Could be wrong as the memory is from 2013 and have no recollection of it in subsequent caminos

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Vague memory of a little church and cemetary outside Ferreiros where the bell was on the outside.

Good memory. But it isn't the one. The door to the church in Ferreiros is fancier.

 

[barnettstakeagiantstep]

If you're not too busy, I'd like to ask you to take a look at the church where Joost rings the bell near the end of the film "The Way". It is the last location I would like to identify, having identified all the others that I want to identify. If you know where it is, please put me out of my misery and tell me. It's at 1:48:09 to 1:48:29 in the copy of the film on Youtube:

[There are no subtitles in Spanish or any other language.] I have tried contacting the Spanish location director -- no luck. I have a copy of the script and list of locations, but both were prepared before the film was made, and this scene is not mentioned in either. Surely somebody knows where it is?

My vote is O Cebreiro

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

I’m kind of a cemetery fan. So I stopped at many and took pictures. I’ll go through them today. I agree with @Rick of Rick and Peg and others that this is likely not found where the movie places it. The inside of the doctor’s office was shot in Spain and the patient was an expat.
While part of me thinks it looks like chapels I saw closer to Finesterre, another part of me thinks this looks like the one on the hill outside SdC as you first head to Finisterre/Muxia—which might explain the ?city you see in the background. My second guess is one on the way to the first stop.

edit: what I don’t recall is what looks like a smaller door next to the regular one ? Maybe it’s a plaque? Anyway that should speed up the search since it’s an unusual feature

 

[Bert45]

1:47:50

Thanks, Renshaw. You could well be right about the location of that sequence (about 4 seconds). I have no problem with scenes that could be almost anywhere, trees, countryside, paths (which includes the four seconds at 1:47:50), with no identifiable landmarks; it's just scenes like the church or the one that Rodrigo found at Bargota that bug me till I find them.

 

[Bert45]

My vote is O Cebreiro

Noooooooooooooooooo

 

[OTH86]

For a brief moment I wondered if maybe this was the church on the Dragonte where GunnarW rang the bells - See the Radio Buen Camino videos. But when I just watched Part 10 again, and found the church - unfortunately, not that one. Nevermind, I think I'll go back and watch all these videos again!!

 

[Jeff Crawley]

I try to appreciate any and all contributions, Jeff, but how does this help me to find my church/chapel?

When the search starts sending you "up the wall" you'll have something to read?

 

[henrythedog]

HERE's an earlier version, 100 years earlier, of what you're thinking about and, if you'd like some books that connect that part of history with the part of Spain along the Frances then try the G A Henty books - a prolific writer, you'll see what I mean if you go to Project Gutenberg
I recommend "Under Wellington's Command" and "With Moore at Corunna"


#Here's forty shillings on the drum . . .

Well, every day’s a school day, I have never heard the version with ‘Queen Anne commands ...’

That certainly puts it >100 years before the Peninsula War, which it what I thought it referred to - most probably from watching Sharpe get stuck in.

My british military history focus is more Victorian, but I still like a bit of non-sectarian fife and drum whatever the context, so thanks for that.

 

[Deleted member 56069]

Not all of The Way was shot on the actual Francis route, so who knows.

 

[Bert45]

Not all of The Way was shot on the actual Francis route, so who knows.

That makes two of us! But not really helping, zrexer . I know that many scenes were not shot on the Camino Francés – if you look at my old post (Jan 12, 2018: Locations used in "The Way") you will see many of them pointed out. But the location of the scene at Bargota was found through this forum, so it's worth a try.

 

[trevorcc]

Is it the church at the small village Linares past O'Cebrerio

 

[Hopeful Pilgrim]

If you're not too busy, I'd like to ask you to take a look at the church where Joost rings the bell near the end of the film "The Way". It is the last location I would like to identify, having identified all the others that I want to identify. If you know where it is, please put me out of my misery and tell me. It's at 1:48:09 to 1:48:29 in the copy of the film on Youtube:

[There are no subtitles in Spanish or any other language.] I have tried contacting the Spanish location director -- no luck. I have a copy of the script and list of locations, but both were prepared before the film was made, and this scene is not mentioned in either. Surely somebody knows where it is?

Hi Bert45, We have checked our photos and this seems to be the church?

If you're not too busy, I'd like to ask you to take a look at the church where Joost rings the bell near the end of the film "The Way". It is the last location I would like to identify, having identified all the others that I want to identify. If you know where it is, please put me out of my misery and tell me. It's at 1:48:09 to 1:48:29 in the copy of the film on Youtube:

[There are no subtitles in Spanish or any other language.] I have tried contacting the Spanish location director -- no luck. I have a copy of the script and list of locations, but both were prepared before the film was made, and this scene is not mentioned in either. Surely somebody knows where it is?

 

[Kathor1]

Below is a screenshot with the church or chapel that @Bert45 is looking for. As you can see, it is within a cemetery. You cannot see the stonework as it is covered with light yellow plaster. The door is rectangular. The bells can be rung from the outside, there is a pulling mechanism on the left side of the door.



Edited to add: In a subsequent frame, you can see that the pulling mechanism for ringing the bells is on both sides of the door. BTW, for Youtube videos, you can use your keyboard to watch frame by frame. Press . or , to move forwards or backwards by one frame.

 

[Kathor1]

Here is a photo of one of the actors sitting within the churchyard and looking at the church. In the background, to his left, you can see something that looks like buildings of a nearby town or village or perhaps just a dwelling. There is a dark tall structure, perhaps a tower? I used to think that the actor is sitting on a wall but looking at it again now, I think that he sits on a kind of bench (?) near a cruceiro.

 

[Kathor1]

I used to think that the actor is sitting on a wall but looking at it again now, I think that he sits on a kind of bench (?) near a cruceiro.

This is why I asked whether someone who owns the DVD with the comments about individual scenes would be so kind to post a transcript of what is said about this scene. There may be a minute clue in it that could help with the search. Unless guesswork has already solved the conundrum? If so, it would be useful if an actual photo or other image of the church in question is posted here. I did not check up on any of the suggestions made so far.

 

[Bert45]

Is it the church at the small village Linares past O'Cebrerio

No, it's not. It's completely different. It's a 'proper' church at Liñares (I couldn't find a Linares in Galicia), not a cemetery chapel.

 

[Bert45]

Hi Bert45, We have checked our photos and this seems to be the church?

Is that a tease there, Pilgrim? (John Wayne reference, I hope you noticed.)

 

[Hopeful Pilgrim]

Hi Bert45, We have checked our photos and this seems to be the church?

Hi I think that this is the church in O' Cebre

If you're not too busy, I'd like to ask you to take a look at the church where Joost rings the bell near the end of the film "The Way". It is the last location I would like to identify, having identified all the others that I want to identify. If you know where it is, please put me out of my misery and tell me. It's at 1:48:09 to 1:48:29 in the copy of the film on Youtube:

[There are no subtitles in Spanish or any other language.] I have tried contacting the Spanish location director -- no luck. I have a copy of th e script and list of locations, but both were prepared before the film was made, and this scene is not mentioned in either. Surely somebody knows where it is?

Could this be it?

 

[LesR]

Is it the church at the small village Linares past O'Cebrerio

My pics of that church show only exposed stonework and no rendering - yellow or any othr colour...

 

[Kathor1]

There may be a minute clue in it that could help with the search.

There is another detail worth mentioning. At the end of the scene the actors walk off to the left. This could mean that there is a gate in the wall of the cemetery in that direction. If so, it makes it easier to visualise the location/position of cemetery and church in relation to the surroundings.

I'm just thinking out loud. I am waiting for your inputs. We will find @Bert45's church only by pure random chance; or if someone lives in the area and recognises it; or with the help of the forum's synergy. Lots of synergy.

Edited to add: Is someone able to estimate the distance between the church and the "black tower"? I am a zero at estimating distances of any kind.

 

[Kathor1]

I’m kind of a cemetery fan. So I stopped at many and took pictures. [...] What I don’t recall is what looks like a smaller door next to the regular one ? Maybe it’s a plaque? Anyway that should speed up the search since it’s an unusual feature

Your message gave me new hope ☺. Here is a screen shot of that feature to the right of the door. I don't know what it is. Anyone?

 

[VNwalking]

Try Google Earth, searching 'Igrexa'?
Needles in haystacks, but hey...
I found a church West of Santiago at random on street view, and at the bottom of the screen there was a button that said 'find more like this', yielding one option after another.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I'm not on Facebook so it has taken me a year or two to realize that a Facebook enquiry in Gallego and Spanish is likely to provide the church's location.

 

[Bert45]

Hi I think that this is the church in O' Cebre

Could this be it?

Nooooooooooo. Come on, now! You're not trying! The church at O Cebreiro is all dark stone; the one I'm trying to find is plastered and painted white. You said in your first message that you had checked your photos – have you looked at the church in the film at 1:48:09 to 1:48:29?

 

[Bert45]

Your message gave me new hope ☺. Here is a screen shot of that feature to the right of the door. I don't know what it is. Anyone?

View attachment 73121

A cat flap, perhaps? (For a very large cat) Seriously, it's our best hope of a positive identification. Perhaps it's a memorial to a priest. If this building is only a cemetery chapel, I think it would not have had a priest the way that a 'proper' church would have. I saw many churches that had memorials to priests on the front wall or facing the church under a porch. It does seem a bit odd that it has been placed at ground level, if it is a memorial.

 

[Kathor1]

Try Google Earth, searching 'Igrexa'? Needles in haystacks, but hey... I found a church West of Santiago at random on street view, and at the bottom of the screen there was a button that said 'find more like this', yielding one option after another.

That's one of many promising avenues. Now that it is highly likely that the church is in Galicia ... I have managed to access a map of all the parishes in Galicia. It shows the location of every church or chapel. I can't do a direct link. You would need to play around with it. Look for 250.000 maps. Parroquias. Then chose the right base layer for a topographical map. You can then switch to satellite view, too. Then move over to Google street view ... we have so much time for this.
http://mapas.xunta.gal/visores/descargas/?locale=es.

Here's what it looks like.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

There is another detail worth mentioning. At the end of the scene the actors walk off to the left. This could mean that there is a gate in the wall of the cemetery in that direction. If so, it makes it easier to visualise the location/position of cemetery and church in relation to the surroundings.

I'm just thinking out loud. I am waiting for your inputs. We will find @Bert45's church only by pure random chance; or if someone lives in the area and recognises it; or with the help of the forum's synergy. Lots of synergy.

Edited to add: Is someone able to estimate the distance between the church and the "black tower"? I am a zero at estimating distances on any kind.

You can measure the distance with a protractor and a piece of string with a weight on the end but . . . (there's always a but isn't there) . . . you need to know how high the tower is!

In it's simplest form you get this:


But that assumes you're on the same level as the base of the tower - it's a simple calculation, if the tower is 30m high and the angle is 45 degrees then you're 30m away from the base of the tower - Pythagoras and all that.

None of which answers your question but the weather has turned colder and I'm bored.

An alternative would be to have a rangerfinder (basically two telescopes linked together at either end of a bar) and turn them so the two images of the tower coincide and the mechanism tells you how far away the tower is (the military use them for the same purpose). To do this you'd have to be standing in the cemetery which kind of defeats the whole object of the exercise.

Like I said, I'm bored. Sorry.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

That's one of many promising avenues. Now that it is highly likely that the church is in Galicia ... I have managed to access a map of all the parishes in Galicia. It shows the location of every church or chapel. I can't do a direct link. You would need to play around with it. Look for 250.000 maps. Parroquias. Then chose the right base layer for a topographical map. You can then switch to satellite view, too. Then move over to Google street view ... we have so much time for this.
http://mapas.xunta.gal/visores/descargas/?locale=es.

Here's what it looks like.

View attachment 73124

You are such a good playmate to have around!

 

[Kathor1]

And here is a site with a lot of photos of churches in Galicia. The province of A Coruña is probably the most promising.

Parroquias católicas, iglesias en Galicia

Parroquias católicas, iglesias en Galicia (3187). Casas parroquiales en Galicia. Centros religiosos de culto, iglesias cristianas y capillas para la celebración de festividades litúrgicas, bautismos, comuniones, bodas y confirmaciones. Misas diarias y de domingo. En Galicia hay 3187 Parroquias...

www.paxinasgalegas.es

 

[Kathor1]

You can measure the distance with a protractor and a piece of string with a weight on the end but . . . (there's
(there's always a but isn't there) . . .

Trigonometry!

My greatest "but" is the fact that I am looking at a photo with a bad orientation for this purpose. Quite apart from the fact that I am not in the field, erm, cemetery with some useful equipment in my mochila and it would defy the purpose of finding out where I am anyway as you so rightly observed ...

Actually, I wasn't quite truthful earlier. Thanks to all my walking to Santiago, I've become somewhat adept at estimating distances of 1 km and 2km, or rather 15 minutes and half an hour. I am a slow walker. And yes one can measure distances in time. It doesn't have to be as far as a light-year.

 

[Kathor1]

@Jeff Crawley, oh come on, surely you can do better than this? Estimate the height of a tower or other tall building usually found in Galicia. Estimate the altitude of the cemetery in relation to the location of the tower. Estimate the length of James Nesbitt's torso. Give us the combined margin of error. Isn't that more than enough info?

Edited to add: Another thought: what's the highest elevation in Galicia? That would be an upper limit for one of the estimates. ☺

 

[Bert45]

And here is a site with a lot of photos of churches in Galicia. The province of A Coruña is probably the most promising.

Parroquias católicas, iglesias en Galicia

Parroquias católicas, iglesias en Galicia (3187). Casas parroquiales en Galicia. Centros religiosos de culto, iglesias cristianas y capillas para la celebración de festividades litúrgicas, bautismos, comuniones, bodas y confirmaciones. Misas diarias y de domingo. En Galicia hay 3187 Parroquias...

www.paxinasgalegas.es

Only 2264 to look at. I've begun with the A's.

 

[VNwalking]

I just quickly looked at the Bs.
Not all of the entries have photos...which sort puts a spanner in the works. And you better hope no-one painted the church white by the time they took the photo.

But...wow. Thete are more than a few XII C churches out there.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

@Jeff Crawley, oh come on, surely you can do better than this? Estimate the height of a tower or other tall building usually found in Galicia. Estimate the altitude of the cemetery in relation to the location of the tower. Estimate the length of James Nesbitt's torso. Give us the combined margin of error. Isn't that more than enough info?

Edited to add: Another thought: what's the highest elevation in Galicia? That would be an upper limit for one of the estimates. ☺

The last time I had to work out a similar problem involved a building along the coast that replaced a burned down hotel. As the new building reached its highest point the neighbours complained that it was higher than the previous building and was blocking their view of the sea. After about 40 minutes of fiddling around with a very expensive piece of surveying equipment and some fumbling with a calculator we conferred with the site manager. "It's 8.975 metres from the foundation slab to the peak of the roof (or whatever the figure was)" he said.
"Wow, that's very accurate - how can you be so sure?"
"I sent a lad up there and he lowered tape measure . . . "

Getting back to the matter in hand. Are we all fairly confident the cemetery will be west of O Cebreiro? I can't see that they'd be scouting too far away from the Camino so I'm going to use the IGN maps which show churches and cemeteries on them and overlay the Camino routes out of O Ceb including the Samos alternative and work my way along them.

The annoying thing is I'm sure I've seen it and not just in the movie.

As you say, we have a lot of time on our hands!

 

[Mark McCarthy]

This reminds of the graveyard of the church of Santa Maria in Ferreiros just before the 100k mark.

 

[Deleted member 73526]

Perhaps there are cemeteries like this all over Galicia, but I only started to notice them in this style on the way to Finisterre and Muxia - stacked graves, topped with an even row of white crosses which look, from a distance, like the edge of a piece of lace

If the chapel is just for the cemetery and not a parish church, then I think it will be indexed as "cementario / cemiterio" rather than "Iglesia / igrexa" on maps.

If you could get hold of a higher quality shot of the scene, you might discern the names and dates on some of the memorials at the back of the shot, and then find the death records are in a searchable database.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Who knows if this is a help or not but at 1:59:20 on the YouTube video you see that Sheen's compostela is dated November 5, 2010, probably the real date of filming. So the chapel scene was probably filmed on that date or later. Note the large number of flowers at the cemetery that were likely left on November 1.

 

[VNwalking]

I'm siging out for the night and fully expect this wee mystery to be solved by morning.

Have fun everyone!

 

[The Kolbist]

i believe it is the Iglesia de Santa Maria de Ferreros. I actually have a video with the cemetery beside it but i have to find it thats also why i was able to identify it right away. https://goo.gl/maps/PWQaogvLvjsZvY6i8

 

[rappahannock_rev]

I thought for a moment that it might be the very picturesque chapel/cemetery on the left of the path as one enters Negreira, on the Finisterre. But I finally found a good photo of that one -- and nope!

 

[Delphinoula]

Have you tried this one https://caminofacil.net/en/the-way/

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

i believe it is the Iglesia de Santa Maria de Ferreros. I actually have a video with the cemetery beside it but i have to find it thats also why i was able to identify it right away. https://goo.gl/maps/PWQaogvLvjsZvY6i8

We've already checked that one. It doesn't match. Click on the area that shows the 4.5 star rating to see a picture of the building.

 

[Delphinoula]

The Way": shooting locations map older thread from 2017 someone is seeking the same local

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

The Way": shooting locations map older thread from 2017 someone is seeking the same local

Maybe this:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/the-way-shooting-locations-map.50023/

 

[Delphinoula]

Thank you did not know how to refer like this.
Hi Bert you obviously had contacted the locations manager of the film. Maybe contact him again?

 

[tpmchugh]

Good memory. But it isn't the one. The door to the church in Ferreiros is fancier.
View attachment 73078View attachment 73079

Yes the doors are indeed different. Oh well, back to the drawing board lol

 

[RJM]

For some reason the area the scene is filmed in reminds me of Vega de Valcarce and on the DVD comment narration version of the movie they do say at the time the scene is showing is that they were in Galicia. Vega de Valcarce is just a few kilometres before you reach Galicia's border. Not so much of a distance that the actors and director and producers would split hairs over when narrating comments.
I wonder if Emilio Estevez ever browses through this forum. No doubt he has done it before, especially around the time of the movie's release. Perhaps he will read this thread and enlighten by some means on that location.

 

[Bert45]

Only 2264 to look at. I've begun with the A's. -- there are so many churches that have no photograph, I don't think it is a worth starting on the B's. There has to be a better way. Perhaps the Facebook idea? But I cannot work Facebook.

 

[Bert45]

Who knows if this is a help or not but at 1:59:20 on the YouTube video you see that Sheen's compostela is dated November 5, 2010, probably the real date of filming. So the chapel scene was probably filmed on that date or later. Note the large number of flowers at the cemetery that were likely left on November 1.

I know that they filmed in 2009, but you could be right about the day and month, but I don't see how that will help us find the church.

 

[Bert45]

Have you tried this one https://caminofacil.net/en/the-way/

Yes, I have. It is not mentioned. My list of locations (Locations used in "The Way", 12 January 2018) runs to about 50 locations, whereas caminofacil only gives 18. But I cannot make a computer do what caminofacil has done.

 

[Bert45]

i believe it is the Iglesia de Santa Maria de Ferreros. I actually have a video with the cemetery beside it but i have to find it thats also why i was able to identify it right away. https://goo.gl/maps/PWQaogvLvjsZvY6i8

Almost everybody (including me) thinks at first that it is the church known as Santa Maria de FERREIROS which is located at Mirallos. They are very similar and the cemetery is really similar, but it is definitely NOT the church of Santa Maria de Ferreiros.

 

[Bert45]

Thank you did not know how to refer like this.
Hi Bert you obviously had contacted the locations manager of the film. Maybe contact him again?

I have done so today. In his last reply to my entreaty (15 March 2018) he wrote:
I can´t remember all the places because we shot in a three or four different areas every day, and I don´t know the way. I´ve never done it, and in the movie, we went by car.
I don't suppose his memory has improved in two years. You would think that somebody (such as the Locations Manager) would keep a record of the permissions they presumably had to get to film in locations such as a cemetery. But, on the other hand, sometime during 9 years (2009 to 2018), perhaps they've been thrown away (or deleted) in a de-cluttering exercise.
As somebody else has already remarked, the church/chapel is almost certainly not on the Camino Francés itself, otherwise somebody (a different somebody) would have recognised it by now. But I cling to the hope that it is not far from the CF, as it was a low-budget movie, and they are unlikely to have carted cast and crew very far for a 10-second sequence.

 

[Bert45]

Jeff asked: Are we all fairly confident the cemetery will be west of O Cebreiro? No, we're not. It has been said that on an old DVD of "The Way" Estevez or Sheen or Alexanian says that the scene where Joost rings the bell was the last scene that they shot, so it was shot out of sequence, despite another interview where Estevez says that they shot the film in sequence. We are (I am) hoping for a transcript of that part of the former interview to see if it offers any clues.

 

[Walking Lover]

If you're not too busy, I'd like to ask you to take a look at the church where Joost rings the bell near the end of the film "The Way". It is the last location I would like to identify, having identified all the others that I want to identify. If you know where it is, please put me out of my misery and tell me. It's at 1:48:09 to 1:48:29 in the copy of the film on Youtube:

[There are no subtitles in Spanish or any other language.] I have tried contacting the Spanish location director -- no luck. I have a copy of the script and list of locations, but both were prepared before the film was made, and this scene is not mentioned in either. Surely somebody knows where it is?

Santuario da Virxe da Barca. This church is actually in Muxia and not F, which is what the movie woukd have us think.

 

[Walking Lover]

If you're not too busy, I'd like to ask you to take a look at the church where Joost rings the bell near the end of the film "The Way". It is the last location I would like to identify, having identified all the others that I want to identify. If you know where it is, please put me out of my misery and tell me. It's at 1:48:09 to 1:48:29 in the copy of the film on Youtube:

[There are no subtitles in Spanish or any other language.] I have tried contacting the Spanish location director -- no luck. I have a copy of the script and list of locations, but both were prepared before the film was made, and this scene is not mentioned in either. Surely somebody knows where it is?

If you're not too busy, I'd like to ask you to take a look at the church where Joost rings the bell near the end of the film "The Way". It is the last location I would like to identify, having identified all the others that I want to identify. If you know where it is, please put me out of my misery and tell me. It's at 1:48:09 to 1:48:29 in the copy of the film on Youtube:

[There are no subtitles in Spanish or any other language.] I have tried contacting the Spanish location director -- no luck. I have a copy of the script and list of locations, but both were prepared before the film was made, and this scene is not mentioned in either. Surely somebody knows where it is?

 

[Bert45]

Walking Lover wrote: Santuario da Virxe da Barca.

Have you been paying attention? It's nothing like the Santuario da Virxe da Barca, a photo of which which you kindly attached to your post. The Santuario da Virxe da Barca is huge and it is not surrounded by a cemetery. The church I am (we are) trying to find is at 1:48:09 to 1:48:29 in the Youtube version of the film. The Santuario da Virxe da Barca is at 2:01:24 to 2:01:32 and again, briefly, at 2:02:38/40. Joost does not ring a bell at the Santuario da Virxe da Barca.

 

[RJM]

Another more easily answered question I am sure.
At 1:42:50 the character of Tom is watching television in the hotel room. On the television there is a man yelling something while out in what appears to be a large meadow in the mountains, and immediately afterwards it appears as though a herd of horses are running. Anyone know what the man is yelling? My Spanish just isn't that good.
Thanks lol.

 

[Saint Mike II]

Not all of The Way was shot on the actual Francis route, so who knows.

Yes- but this is well know.
But given the limited time frame from filming Tom getting his compostela on 5 Nov 2010 then the walk -or part of it to Muxia (film this scene - at least a full day) and then jump in the vans to get to the church and still allow Joost time to get his flight to Sweeden (he virtually flew out after this scene). Then it has to be in Galacia and in reasonable proximity to the Camino. Cheers

 

[mark connolly]

I found this answer! And it was right if front of our eyes: look at the closing credits.

Stay with me here. First and foremost, I have never seen the film. Looking through the comments, there is an agreement that camino scenes were not filmed in sequence, etc. and the movie was not entirely shot in Spain. For example, the opening scene on the golf course had to be filmed in California, if not somewhere in the US right? Believe it or not, that scene may have been filmed in Spain. If you look at the closing credits there are a series of thank yous to various town/city government agencies, hotels, restaurants, cafes, bars, and camino associations, etc. in Spain for their help on the film. A thank you is given to the Community de Madrid Club de Golf "La Herreria". It is possible that the golf course scene was filmed there, I don't know,. Thanks is also given to the Governments of Borgota and Gazólaz, which are towns off the camino near Torres Del Rio and Pamplona repectively. So we can conclude, that perhaps, all of the scenes were filmed in Spain (except for SJPDP) and that not all the camino scenes were filmed on the camino. That is where all of you that have posted on this thread come in. Some people have gone as far as trying to contact Martin Sheen himself and others involved in the film to seek the answer. My advice is to contact the camino organizations and such that are listed at the end the credits to determine the exact location of the scene in question. One that stands out is the Galacian Film Commision that is referenced in the closing credits. Again, I have no idea where that scene was filmed. By doing some more detective work, we can come up with an answer. Hope this helps and good luck.

Mark

 

[Kathor1]

the walk - or part of it to Muxia (film this scene - at least a full day) and then jump in the vans to get to the church and still allow Joost time to get his flight to Sweden (he virtually flew out after this scene).

Just to be sure as I don't have access to the DVD with the comments on particular scenes and in the absence of a transcript: there is no doubt about this, they clearly say in these comments that they filmed in Muxia, that the very last scene to be included in the movie is the scene with Joost ringing the bell in the cemetery, that this scene was shot after they shot in Muxia? Do they give any explanation for this?

I mean this situation is different from the wrong sequence concerning Orisson. They no doubt shot the scene at Orisson in the right time sequence, the mixup happened when the movie was cut.

One possible explanation for the Muxia/cemetery sequence could be that the cemetery is NOT on a road leading from Santiago to Muxia, and not to the right or left of a road leading from Santiago to Muxia. And that it was more economical to shoot Muxia and subsequently the cemetery scene.

Am I grasping for straws here?

 

[LesR]

The last time I had to work out a similar problem involved a building along the coast that replaced a burned down hotel. As the new building reached its highest point the neighbours complained that it was higher than the previous building and was blocking their view of the sea. After about 40 minutes of fiddling around with a very expensive piece of surveying equipment and some fumbling with a calculator we conferred with the site manager. "It's 8.975 metres from the foundation slab to the peak of the roof (or whatever the figure was)" he said.
"Wow, that's very accurate - how can you be so sure?"
"I sent a lad up there and he lowered tape measure . . . "

Getting back to the matter in hand. Are we all fairly confident the cemetery will be west of O Cebreiro? I can't see that they'd be scouting too far away from the Camino so I'm going to use the IGN maps which show churches and cemeteries on them and overlay the Camino routes out of O Ceb including the Samos alternative and work my way along them.

The annoying thing is I'm sure I've seen it and not just in the movie.

As you say, we have a lot of time on our hands!

The next scene is the village of O’Cebreiro, so the odds are it won’t be far away, but no guarantees that it will actually be on the Camino...

 

[Kathor1]

I've just come across this videoclip that shows how they shot some of the final scenes of "The Way" in Muxia. They were actors and they were just making a movie, after all.

 

[Kathor1]

Who knows if this is a help or not but at 1:59:20 on the YouTube video you see that Sheen's compostela is dated November 5, 2010, probably the real date of filming.

I am afraid the Compostela with the date of 5 November 2010 shown in the movie is a red herring. I wouldn't be surprised if it was filled in in a studio in California a year after they had been in Spain ☺.

And I always felt that it was a "fake" anyway because the name on the Compostela is written as "Daniel" while it should be "Danielem" on a real Compostela (rules of Latin grammar for the accusative case - see a real Compostela for a Daniel below).

The filming in Muxia took place on 6 November 2009, see short article in La Voz de Galicia.

 

[Kathor1]

I am getting a bit sidetracked here but look how they blurred the text of the Compostela in the movie scenes where you can see the two actors. The Compostela that you see next is not the Compostela that you see now. When they show you the text on the Compostela clearly, all you see is someone's hairy hand, no faces. Ah, the tricks of the trade! Remember this when they want you to watch a video these days. Any video.

 

[Pelegrin]

Here is a photo of one of the actors sitting within the churchyard and looking at the church. In the background, to his left, you can see something that looks like buildings of a nearby town or village or perhaps just a dwelling. There is a dark tall structure, perhaps a tower? I used to think that the actor is sitting on a wall but looking at it again now, I think that he sits on a kind of bench (?) near a cruceiro.

View attachment 73109

This photo shows a relatively flat terrain, so the church is not near O Cebreiro. Also it is painted in white that is not normal style in that area.
The lanscape could be El Bierzo but I didn't find on Internet any cemetery "Galician style" there (Villafranca, Cacabelos, etc.).
So, the church must be located in Galicia on a flat terrain but on a hillside because the niche wall below his level.

 

[Bert45]

Yes- but this is well know[n].
But given the limited time frame from filming Tom getting his compostela on 5 Nov 2010 then the walk -or part of it to Muxia (film this scene - at least a full day) and then jump in the vans to get to the church and still allow Joost time to get his flight to Sweeden (he virtually flew out after this scene). Then it has to be in Galacia and in reasonable proximity to the Camino. Cheers

Have we been confused? We have been told that in an interview on a DVD it is stated that the scene "at the church" was the last scene to be shot. Kathar1na's brilliant discovery shows that the scene at Muxía was shot the day after the scene at the Pilgrim Office (it is not now where it was then). [Martin Sheen explained in one of dozens of interviews that I have watched that they had the actor/official writing the compostela put the year 2010, though it was 2009 at the time, because the film was to be released in 2010. According to Wiki: Filming started on 21 September 2009 and took 40 days. (i.e.31 October). That must be wrong, as La Voz de Galicia tells us they were filming on 6 November 2009.] The release date was 10 September 2010 TIFF (whatever that means), but 19 November 2010 in Spain, 13 May 2011 in UK and 7 October 2011 in the USA. (Wiki). It has three running times: 115, 123, 128 minutes. The Youtube version we have been watching lasts 128:06 minutes.] It has been assumed that the church where the last scene was shot was the church where Joost rings the bell, but I suggest that the church where the last scene was shot was the Santuario da Virxe da Barca, which is why Walking Lover posted a photo of that church (post #85). This is why we need a transcript of the interview, for those of us who do not have access to that DVD. My DVD has a run time of 123 minutes (approx), and does not have that interview. As an afterthought, what if the film had been released before 5 November 2010? Did they delay the release in Spain till after 5 November so the date on the compostela would not look false?

 

[Kathor1]

The release date was 10 September 2010 TIFF (whatever that means)

Toronto International Film Festival

 

[Kathor1]

If you look at the closing credits there are a series of thank yous to various town/city government agencies, hotels, restaurants, cafes, bars, and camino associations, etc. in Spain for their help on the film. A thank you is given to the Community de Madrid Club de Golf "La Herreria". It is possible that the golf course scene was filmed there, I don't know,. Thanks is also given to the Governments of Borgota and Gazólaz, which are towns off the camino near Torres Del Rio and Pamplona repectively.

After Muxia, they apparently filmed for three days in Madrid and for one day in Marrakesh, according to La Voz de Galicia. And below are the credits with the thank yous for Galicia. It doesn't mean that there are scenes in the movie from all these places but may we safely assume that all the scenes filmed in Galicia were filmed in one of the places referenced below?

 

[Bert45]

I am getting a bit sidetracked here but look how they blurred the text of the Compostela in the movie scenes where you can see the two actors. The Compostela that you see next is not the Compostela that you see now. When they show you the text on the Compostela clearly, all you see is someone's hairy hand, no faces. Ah, the tricks of the trade! Remember this when they want you to watch a video these days. Any video.

View attachment 73163

I love sidetracks! You can end up in interesting places!
It looks quite clear on my PC (47 cm diagonal) at 1:59:19 (Thomas) and at 1:59:53 (Daniel): CAPITULUM hujus ... notum facit ... et confero. Datum Compostellae die ...
The (not very) 'hairy hand' is Martin Sheen's (or a hand model's, I suppose), well over to the right of the screen.