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MARCH 25, 2021
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BY JASON STARR Observer staff
WILLISTON’S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1985
From Williston, with love
WWW.WILLISTONOBSERVER.COM
he quintessential rural Williston way of life is about to reach a worldwide audience A documentary film crew followed fourth-generation Williston farmers Ginger and David Isham around town throughout 2019. The resulting one-hour episode will be part of the documentary series “My Love” to be released on Netflix on April 13. The Ishams were chosen out of about 130 candidate couples from all over the United States to represent relationship longevity and life as community elders. The series follows couples in six different countries in separate episodes that will all be released simultaneously. “It’s an exploration of companionship and what it means to spend and devote your life to one other person,” said director Elaine McMillion Sheldon. A new neighbor of the Ishams on South Road, Alison Whritenaur, nominated them for the project in 2018. Whritenaur’s sister works at Boardwalk Pictures, the Los Angeles-based company Ginger and David Isham take an ice cream break in Essex, N.Y., during filming of the Netflix that produced the documentary ‘My Love.’ series. Sheldon had been searching the as they made end-of-life decisions about events, especially in the summer,” she said. country for the right cremation and wills. They have six children, “It’s a huge slice of Americana. It almost senior couple to with their oldest, Mike, now running the feels like fiction at times because so many showcase, cold-callfarm. communities have lost these celebrations ing nonprofits, seDespite the film crew’s presence, the that used to be very associated with America. nior centers and arts Ishams were able to maintain secrecy around And Vermont, and especially Williston, has organizations for held onto those.” leads. Finally, she The Ishams have seen their episode and asked if anyone at are excited for the way it will portray life in Boardwalk knew of a couple. That’s when Williston. A film crew followed the Ishams to the Champlain Whritenaur and her Valley Fair in 2019. “They did a fabulous job putting this tosister began talking gether,” Ginger said. “It made us look back do this. We owe it to the about the Ishams. on our lives and how we lived. We made it “It was hilarious because I had spent future generations of the this far with good health and a wonderful nearly three months traversing the U.S.,” Isham family to do this,’” family. Our life was simple, but we had what Sheldon said, “and the couple we ended up Ginger said. “I just thought was most important such as love, security featuring came from an internal suggestion what fun it would be. and happiness.” “We wanted to show from the company.” A Netflix subscription is needed to view our state and our town and Sheldon visited the Ishams in January of the quality of life we have the documentary. But Sheldon hopes to have 2019. A couple days after the visit, she ofliving here.” community screenings at the Isham Farm fered them the opportunity. A camera crew fol- A crew films David Isham at his home for the upcoming “You want someone who is not going to and other locations around Vermont in the documentary ‘My Love’ to be released April 13 on Netflix. perform, who is very comfortable with their lowed the couple through OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTOS coming year. own story and not wanting to put on a show the mundane and the cele“I hope Vermonters like it and I hope the project. in any way,” Sheldon said. “Ginger and Da- bratory. One highlight was a that people all across the U.S. will relate to “For 11 years we had a bed and breakvid seemed really humble … and they are surprise 60th wedding anniversary at the farm, the story,” said Sheldon. “Ginger and David with a renewal of vows officiated by Willis- fast, so we were used to strangers coming very kind to one another.” live very quiet lives which are often overGinger was ready to jump at the op- ton Federated Church Pastor Paul Eyer. Also into our home,” Ginger said. “And they were looked in media. We’re always looking for portunity; she talked David into getting filmed were a day at the Champlain Valley so kind to us and so accommodating.” Fair, a trip across Lake Champlain on the ferThe Ishams’ connection to the land, to the extremes to be featured documentary excited, too. “When I learned more about what they ry to New York and the farm’s sugar-making the community and to their family made them characters, but Ginger and David are just living their lives and have simple lessons to ideal subjects for the film, Sheldon said. were going to do and they told us we had operation. been chosen, I said to David ‘we have to The film crew also followed the Ishams “Williston has so many great iconic teach us.”
Isham elders subject of Netflix documentary