Leaving the Point
With ranch closures imminent in Point Reyes National Seashore, a tight-knit community faces significant changes and a vanishing way of life.
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Michael Fearon: I grew up in Mill Valley, approximately 45 minutes away from Point Reyes National Seashore. As a child, I explored the rugged beauty of the Seashore and attended summer camp at the Clem Miller Environmental Education Center, just a stone’s throw from iconic Limantour Beach.
I developed a strong attachment to the landscapes and quirky communities of the region, and despite moving away to the east coast at 18, Point Reyes always held a special place in my heart.
When I returned to northern California at 30 after earning a graduate degree from Columbia’s journalism school and starting a career as a filmmaker, I was reminded of the charm of the area and began paying attention to developments in the region. I subscribed to the Point Reyes Light, a small but mighty local paper that won a Pulitzer in the 70s. I soon learned that the ranches in Point Reyes were in peril and that there was an immigrant workforce living on the ranches, whom few outside of the Seashore were talking about.
I found it very frustrating that the folks with the most at stake — ranch tenants who would lose both their jobs and their homes if the ranches were closed — were shut out from the process of determining the future of Point Reyes.
With the encouragement of filmmakers Dominic and Nadia Gill at Encompass Films, I decided to tell the story of what the ranch closures would mean to the people who live and work in Point Reyes. Gaining the trust of Rosa Rodriguez and Kevin Lunny was essential to the film. In following these two characters, and adding the voices of environmentalist Chance Cutrano and the lawyer Andrew Giacomini, a nuanced story began to emerge.
It was important to balance a variety of conflicting perspectives, and to make sure that all the voices were clear and honest. I cannot thank the people of Point Reyes enough for their help throughout this process, as well as all the talented people that helped bring the project to life.
I developed a strong attachment to the landscapes and quirky communities of the region, and despite moving away to the east coast at 18, Point Reyes always held a special place in my heart.
When I returned to northern California at 30 after earning a graduate degree from Columbia’s journalism school and starting a career as a filmmaker, I was reminded of the charm of the area and began paying attention to developments in the region. I subscribed to the Point Reyes Light, a small but mighty local paper that won a Pulitzer in the 70s. I soon learned that the ranches in Point Reyes were in peril and that there was an immigrant workforce living on the ranches, whom few outside of the Seashore were talking about.
I found it very frustrating that the folks with the most at stake — ranch tenants who would lose both their jobs and their homes if the ranches were closed — were shut out from the process of determining the future of Point Reyes.
With the encouragement of filmmakers Dominic and Nadia Gill at Encompass Films, I decided to tell the story of what the ranch closures would mean to the people who live and work in Point Reyes. Gaining the trust of Rosa Rodriguez and Kevin Lunny was essential to the film. In following these two characters, and adding the voices of environmentalist Chance Cutrano and the lawyer Andrew Giacomini, a nuanced story began to emerge.
It was important to balance a variety of conflicting perspectives, and to make sure that all the voices were clear and honest. I cannot thank the people of Point Reyes enough for their help throughout this process, as well as all the talented people that helped bring the project to life.
