We Were an Island

Inspired by the book “We Were An Island: The Maine Life of Art and Nan Kellam,” the film imagines the Kellams’ life on Placentia, an uninhabited island off the coast of Maine beginning with their arrival in 1949. Whether in response to the horrors they witnessed in international news during World War II or from a desire to take on a life project that was utterly unique, the couple built their own home and lived in near isolation for the ensuing four decades. The Kellams experienced both independence from society and a connection with nature that seem nearly impossible today. Their story is a metaphor for what it means to enter a life partnership, what is gained and what is sacrificed. Ultimately, it is a grand accomplishment just to remain on that ‘island’ of our own design. (Orlando Film Festival)