Private Project

Islesboro Life

Islesboro Life is a short documentary that contemplates what it means to be an islander on Islesboro, a small island off the coast of Maine. The story is brought to life by Ginny Drew, who is the main guide around the island. She gives the inside scoop on some of the more difficult aspects of island living, as well as what makes it all worth it. During the film you also meet Chris Dickman, a summer resident and the owner of the island’s antique shop and John Mitchell, a year-round resident born and raised on Islesboro who is the Building Chair of the Islesboro Historical Society. Islesboro has a small, hearty group of year-round residents as well as large number of summer residents. Although they don’t have fancy big restaurants or movie theaters, they have something better—each other.

  • Erika Hemond
    Director
  • Erika Hemond
    Producer
  • Erika Hemond
    Cinematographer
  • Jonathan Cunningham
    Assistant Cameraperson
  • Jonathan Cunningham
    Digital Imaging Technician
  • Michael Hutcherson
    Additional Footage
  • Pam Larson
    Additional Footage
  • Brad Johnson
    Additional Footage
  • Erika Hemond
    Editor
  • Jonathan Cunningham
    Assistant Editor
  • Jonathan Cunningham
    Colorist
  • Ginny Drew
    Key Cast
  • Chris Dickman
    Key Cast
  • John Mitchell
    Key Cast
  • Tom Donohue
    Film Consultant
  • Jonathan Cunningham
    Film Consultant
  • Jonathan Cunningham
    Equipment Courtesy of
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes 13 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 14, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    600 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Maine Media Workshops + College
Director Biography - Erika Hemond

Erika Hemond is a new filmmaker, originally from Vermont, who now resides in Midcoast Maine. She has spent her adult life traveling the world and learning about the human spirit and different ways of life. Her love of traveling came from working at a hotel and hearing her guests’ stories about where they are from or have been. This inspired her to travel to all seven continents, often visiting the very people who inspired her in the first place. One day she hopes to visit every country in the world. During her travels she has assisted with several travel documentary style video shoots. These experiences motivated her to take her first film class at Maine Media Workshops + College. Her debut film, Islesboro Life, is a short documentary that tells the story of an island off the coast of Maine and the people who call it home.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I was inspired to direct the film Islesboro Life after visiting the island of Islesboro for several years. Originally being from a landlocked state, the thought of living on an island intrigued me. When I first visited the island, I had so many questions in my head…How do people get food? What do they do for fun? Is it great living on an island with others or is it a nightmare that you can never get away from them? What is it like to rely on a ferry to be connected to the mainland? Are there any added hardships of living on an island? Over the years I have slowly come to understand the answers to these questions and have fallen even more in love with it. The same things that create hardships are also the things that make it so wonderful. For instance, it may be inconvenient that the ferry stops running in the evening, but there is also a peacefulness to the fact that you know nobody can come onto the island at night and it is just you and your fellow islanders. If anyone needs something on the island, people come together and are there for each other in a way that is seldom duplicated in a larger community. When the ferry prices went up and threatened the livelihood and stability of many islanders, they came together as a community and fought for their town. Because there are no hotels on Islesboro, access is limited to fully experience the spirit of the island and what makes it so special. I hope that I can shed a light on this beautiful, warm, and enduring place to others who may not have the same ability to immerse themselves in its culture.