Boer Pietersen schoot in de roos

Dissension is rife in a farming community in Limburg. Using money from the Marshall Plan, farmer Pietersen has started using new equipment to work his land, but not all farmers are convinced of the usefulness of these new machines. They stick to the old-fashioned methods, where horses do most of the work. Of course, it is clear at the end of the film that the new equipment outdoes the much more labour-intensive manual work in many respects. Then, the farmer who had been reluctant to use mechanical devices also comes round, and everybody proceeds to unanimously rejoice in the country fair. This film was made to inform farmers about the possibilities of mechanical agriculture facilitated by the Marshall Plan. It was shot in the Limburg village of Heel, where a complete horse fair was organised especially for the film. Although aimed at Dutch farmers, the film was later translated into seven languages for agricultural aid programmes in many parts of Europe. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)