When filming about Jesus' birth, animals don't always follow script

Published: 2006-06-08

MATERA, Italy (CNS) -- The hardest part about making a movie about Mary, Joseph and the birth of Jesus is convincing the animals to follow the script. Herds of sheep, goats, a soaring hawk, ornery oxen, a baby calf, caravaning camels and pack donkeys all feature in a new film, "The Nativity Story," due out in theaters worldwide Dec. 1. Digital technology has made putting a shooting star and hovering angels on celluloid a cinch, but convincing an ox to kneel and low before the baby Jesus in a manger proved to be an ordeal, crew members told journalists May 23 during filming in the ancient southern Italian city of Matera. Because animals are more used to doing improv than following stage direction, sheep wranglers and ox whisperers were hired to help with filming, and local Italian shepherds were hired to play the shepherds in the movie. But the shepherds' real-life skills in steering sheep were sorely challenged as director Catherine Hardwicke called for several retakes, urging them to keep their furry flocks on a particular path and not to run over Mary and Joseph as they crested a hill.

Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .