Island Film To Premiere This Weekend
Documentary Shares Local Personalities
By Leslie Rott

A documentary, "Mackinac Island - Mecca of the Midwest," will premiere Sunday, May 28, on WTTW Channel 11 PBS in Chicago.

Terry Spencer Hesser, who came to Mackinac Island as a child said, she wants to give people a different look at the Island by interviewing many of the personalities who call Mackinac their home. The program includes Doc Crain, Maeve Croghan, Amber Elliot, Stanley Gugin, the late Margaret Kappa, Ed Matthews, Marvin May, Karen McCabe and the late John McCabe, Dan Musser III and Marlee Brown Musser, and Gavin Robson.

"There's something so special about it," Ms. Hesser said of the Island, and many good stories to be told of people from many walks of life.

Ms. Hesser characterized the documentary as a photo album that will appeal to the memories of those who have visited it and the imagination of those who have not.

The 30-minute-long documentary notes that many people flock to Mackinac Island to escape postmodern society and to travel back in time. Ms. Hesser tells the viewers that horses are the soundtrack of Island life, an unmistakable part of what makes Mackinac Island so special.

Other highlights include the late Margaret Kappa returning to Grand Hotel to do a little housekeeping. For years, she consulted the hotel about decorating and the proper display of furniture and fixtures.

Along with talking about Grand Hotel and her artwork, Marlee Brown Musser talks about her courtship by and subsequent marriage to Dan Musser III.

For those familiar with the Island, a close look will reveal many recognizable faces of people going about their daily lives while the documentary was being filmed.

Mary Slevin, director of Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau, said, "I really like it and think it's an amazingly inspired work." It is notable, she said, because of its interviews with local people, rather than with actors, "and she was able to really see not only what makes Mackinac Island a special place to the tourist, but also why Mackinac Island is so special to those that live and work here."

Mrs. Slevin added, "I think because she took a year to complete it, she had time to remove herself from the process to make a better record of what she experienced here on the Island."

Ms. Hesser is an Emmy award-winning independent writer and producer in Chicago. She is also the author of the novel, "Kissing Doorknobs."

Music for the documentary was composed by Larry Grey and Mark Ruffin.

The documentary is available on DVD at Island shops.