St. Helena May Be Summer Movie Setting
By Paul Gingras

St. Helena Island in the Straits of Mackinac is being considered as the setting of a movie titled "Lighthouse" to be produced by the Los Angeles-based film company Duly Noted.

Filming may begin as early as mid-May, said Dick Moehl of the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association, who has been working with the company and the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries on the project.

After reading a portion of the script, Mr. Moehl said St. Helena appears to be the perfect location for the military-themed movie, which calls for an island setting, a historic lighthouse, and great maritime views.

It will take about two weeks to assemble the equipment for the film at the site. Twenty-five days of filming will follow, he said, and shooting on the island should be finished by the end of June.

Certain scenes will use flares and other devices to mimic explosions, so permission from the Coast Guard will be needed. The biggest problems are logistical, Mr. Moehl said, notably the company's need to transport a huge generator to the island.

Nicole Colombie of Duly Noted has asked how many people can live at the lighthouse site. Company officials are considering visiting St. Helena soon, Mr. Moehl said, to get a firsthand look at the island and make plans.

The cast of four leading actors and two with minor parts have requested personal trailers on site, Mr. Moehl said, and working on the small, uninhabited, and undeveloped island might seem primitive to the actors.

If the site is selected, the production will be an economic boon to the area, Mr. Moehl told the Mackinaw City Village Council at its meeting Thursday, March 20.

"To have this kind of economic development thrown at us is exciting," he said, noting food, lodging in Mackinaw City before and after filming, the rental of Mr. Moehl's boat, rental of the island from the Lighthouse Keepers Association, and other accommodations will be needed.

About 40 people will be working on the film.

St. Helena is not the only site under consideration. The company is also considering the Point Betsie Lighthouse on Lake Michigan in Benzie County, Sturgeon Point Lighthouse on Lake Huron near Harrisville, and a site in Washington state.

The two Lower Michigan sites for filming lack features called for in the script, such as a dock and an