©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

World premiere about hermit for Hill filmmaker next week
by LEN LEAR

Ray Phillips, whose life story is captured in a documentary by former Chestnut Hill resident Elisabeth Harris, is seen in his lonely but picturesque island.

Unlike so many high school and college students whose career plans change as often as their clothing, Chestnut Hill native Elisabeth Harris never wavered in her dream of becoming a filmmaker. From her days at Germantown Academy (Class of 1996) and the University of the Arts to her undergraduate studies at Vassar College and Master’s Degree courses at City College of New York, Harris never planned to be anything but a filmmaker. “I just thought the whole process was magical,” she said.

The precocious Hill native’s talent and determination were quickly recognized in the film industry, where she has worked steadily for 10 years. Elisabeth started as a production assistant but quickly moved on to associate producer for several documentaries about such divergent topics as Arafat and Sharon, 9-11, The Beatles and great American authors, which have aired on NBC, ABC, PBS, VH-1 and The Discovery Channel. Most recently she produced a two-hour documentary special for CBS-TV and a best-selling DVD called “Elvis by the Presleys,” and she is developing several new long-form projects.

However, the subject that has dominated Elisabeth’s life over the past year is one she first learned about as a child. Like so many other Chestnut Hill families, Harris’ family often vacationed in Maine. They stayed on the island of Monhegan, close to another island called Manana that was pretty much deserted.

Elisabeth Harris, who grew up in Chestnut Hill and graduated from Germantown Academy, is now a talented filmmaker whose latest effort will be premiering next Tuesday in New York City.

However, Elisabeth frequently heard anecdotes about a man named Ray Phillips, whose legend lived on after his death in 1978. Residents of Monhegan referred to Phillips as the “Hermit of Manana” since he lived alone for decades.

“As a kid,” said Harris, “I would see his shacks and wonder what kind of a man he must have been. I would hear conflicting stories about him and would wonder what was true and what was not. I wondered where the legend ended and the actual man began. I decided to research his life out of curiosity and a bit of jealousy. I felt jealous of the bravery he must have had in order to leave behind New York in exchange for Manana Island. This is a part of myself that I sort of wish was much stronger.”

What Harris learned from her research, including countless interviews with long-time area residents, was this: Ray Phillips, a World War 1 veteran and New York City grocer, left his hometown and all his belongings in 1928 and set sail northward by himself. He eventually landed on the tiny, rocky island of Manana, 12 miles off the coast of Maine, and built himself a shack out of driftwood and scraps from his boat.

Phillips settled on the deserted island and lived there, apparently happily, for 50 years. His story eventually reached the mainland, where he became something of a media darling. In his declining years, the bearded, scraggly loner was sought out by reporters and photographers.

After his death in 1978, Phillips’ story passed into virtual mythology, which is still being passed down from generation to generation. “I hunted far and wide for what turned out to be a surprisingly extensive collection of images, articles, documents and stories,” said Elisabeth, who also worked closely with the Monhegan Museum and many long-time Monhegan residents who knew Phillips personally. Many shared their personal photo archives and the memories of the time they had spent with Ray.

Harris even found some never-before-seen color home movies of Ray from the 1950s and ‘60s. She received a small grant from the Maine Arts & Humanities Council but paid for most expenses out of her own pocket. Harris filmed on both Monhegan and Manana Islands beginning in June of 2005 and in January of this year started a four-month-long film editing process.

“Ray’s story led me to question my own lifestyle,” admitted Harris. “For me, the choice between city and country life is one very close to home. The seductions of the city have drawn me in, but I feel strongly that I am denying myself something by living away from the country. Career ambitions often demand city life, while personal happiness takes a back seat when country people are trapped in the city. My film addresses this conflict in everybody ... It is meant to stir a discussion about our priorities and about the value in simplicity, existence and basic survival.”

Harris’ film, The Hermit of Manana, will make its world premiere on Tuesday, May 30, at the Clearview Cinema, 62nd and Broadway in New York City as part of the City Visions Film Festival. (For more information, visit www.cityvisions-ccny.com) On July 6 the film will be shown at the Monhegan Island Ecology Seminar in Maine. Elisabeth hopes the film gets more festival exposure, especially in New England. “I think the story will speak to wider audiences on a human level,” she said, “where anyone might be able to relate to what it was like to give up the bustling city for the lonely rock that is Manana ... and to the beauty and simplicity of Ray Phillips’ peaceful island life.”