The ten-part documentary series in which Tom Waes guides us through the history of Flanders has caused a lot of commotion in recent weeks. For example, Hannelore Goeman, leader of Vooruit in the Flemish Parliament, criticized that the program received 2.4 million in subsidies, while according to her “there is no money” for the future of Flanders. The daycare. School meals. School invoices.”
Tom Waes acknowledged The appointment that it is a large sum, but that it was indeed “necessary to make an expensive program for a small market. We couldn’t have done this without that money.”
“I follow Mrs Goeman in the fact that money should indeed be invested in school meals and childcare, but you cannot compare that”, continued Waes. “Of the 3.8 billion euros for education, 400,000 euros has gone to education The story of Flanders gone. Today it was announced that this will be included in the education package. Perhaps this program will be used for another twenty years. Then that 400,000 euros is actually a piece of cake.”
Too Flemish?
Also on the right side The story of Flanders deployed in the political struggle. Flemish Prime Minister Jan Jambon (N-VA) explicitly made the connection with the program and the Flemish course that the VRT must follow. “Of course the canon must promote the Flemish identity”, it sounded The standard. “The N-VA is the largest party in this region and strengthening identity is part of our program … Otherwise we would commit voter fraud. We will also do that from Sunday The Story of Flanders on TV.”
Into the question The appointment whether the program promotes Flemish identity, Tom Waes answered: “I don’t think so. People had an opinion on this long before it was on TV. We just made ten fun episodes about what happened on Flemish soil. In the course of the episodes it will even become clear that we shouldn’t be so proud of the fact that we are Flemings.”
“Some sources even say that the program was ordered by the Flemish Community, but we had already ordered it and bought the license,” said Waes. “Only then did we try to sell it to the VRT. And then we still had to raise enough money. That was actually a big risk.”
“We made a program for viewers – there were about 1,680,000 last week – and then there are a few journalists and politicians on both sides who express their views. One says it promotes identity, the other thinks it’s outrageous. Everyone has their own interpretation, but for me it’s all about the people who can learn something from it.”
“There are hundreds of people who send me messages to say, for example, that their teenagers, who have been in their room for months, have come and sat in front of the TV to watch the program. That pleases me.”