production notes

Fate had me arrive in Banff, Alberta on a Western Canadian road trip in early 2007, where, on my last day in town and an hour before closing, I happened to come across a museum exhibit in its final weeks, featuring two deceased residents of Banff, Peter and Catharine Whyte.  They had left behind a legacy in mountain painting as well as the spellbinding story of their lives.  As I was wandering though the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, soaking up the story and the displays, I felt like meeting two new friends.  Peter and Catharine were so very present in that exhibit, one of the most exquisitely curated ones I had ever seen.  The values in their story that were instantly evident to me included the powerful combination of passion, generosity and modesty.  This was not just the legacy of two passionate artists, it was not only the story of two modestly anonymous philanthropists and it was not only a love story.  This was a celebration of art, love and life, an example of having the courage to trusting one’s heart unshakably and finding one’s home in life, in one’s passion and in each other.  I immediately altered my travel plans and began my research on Peter and Catharine Whyte with a growing urge to make a film telling their story to the world. The Canadian Rocky Mountains deserve nothing less than a big screen, which is why I was adamant that my production take the form of a feature film.

My ingenious friend, German filmmaker Markus Rupprecht, is the director, a writer and co-producer of DRAWING HOME.  He contributes the right amount of international perception, yet sensitive understanding of the story, comparable to the countless artists DRAWING HOME's protagonists welcomed to their Rocky Mountain home from all over the world.  Gifted writer Donna Logan from Santa Barbara added an invaluable female viewpoint to the story.  The writers as well as my fellow producer and New York treasure, Allan Neuwirth, immediately grasped the numerous exemplary human values that can be found in the story.  The same goes for our Canadian co-producers, Mike Peterson and Brendan Hunter of Fresh Dog Productions in Calgary; our Canadian Line Producer, Danny Rossner in Montreal; our Canadian associate producer, Anna Velasco in New York and our Canadian casting director, Deb Green in British Columbia.  Together, we worked on DRAWING HOME from at least two continents, in three countries and languages as well as four different time zones, giving the story a global embrace.

The Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, founded by Peter and Catharine Whyte, has been of loyal support, providing full access to their archives which house, among countless artworks and personal memorabilia of the couple, the complete correspondence between Catharine Whyte and her mother in Concord, Massachusetts who, over the course of 30 years, exchanged some 1,800 letters which can be compared to detailed journal entries.  The museum furthermore gave us permission to film inside Peter and Catharine’s seemingly untouched, actual home.  It had not been empty for over half a decade until we brought in our furnishings, as the original ones cannot be handled due to being artifacts.  We also lit the fireplace for the first time in decades.  Parks Canada assisted us tremendously, waiving all park fees and even giving us unprecedented permission to be airlifted to Skoki Lodge during winter.  I am also grateful towards the Whyte and Robb families who welcomed us to their homes in Banff and Concord, Massachusetts, respectively, sharing pictures and stories about their ancestors, arranging for our visit to Skoki in Alberta and inviting us on a tour through Catharine’s actual childhood home in Massachusetts.

Our fiercely talented and collegial cast is led by Canadian treasures, Juan Riedinger and newcomer Julie Lynn Mortensen, bringing the story to life in a way that exceeded all my expectations.  They are joined by a stellar supporting cast, including Kate Mulgrew, Peter Strauss, Torrance Coombs, Kristin Griffith, Christian Campbell as well as Rutger Hauer and Wallace Shawn.  I am particularly proud of our crews in Alberta, Quebec and Massachusetts whose contributions are immeasurable.

DRAWING HOME will be an opportunity to visit stunning Western Canada, a truly humbling part of the world, and invite to a reflection about the art of human partnerships as well as the meaning of "home".

Margarethe Baillou, Producer

Cast

Juan Riedinger Peter Whyte

Juan Riedinger is an award-winning actor and film director.  Juan began his professional acting career in Vancouver with his first role as a series regular on Bravo’s series GODIVA'S.  This led to a long list of roles, including appearances on various other television shows, such as SMALLVILLE, INTELLIGENCE, BLOOD TIES, THE GUARD, FRINGE, HUMAN TARGET and CONTINUUM.  His film credits include GRAVE ENCOUNTERS, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, ALIENS VS. PREDATOR, HAVANA 57, MARYLIN and BLACK CHRISTMAS.  He also had supporting roles alongside Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried in JENNIFER'S BODY and in HARDWIRED, opposite Cuba Gooding Jr. and Val Kilmer.  As a director, Juan has completed twelve short films since 2008, including the award-winning SHARK OUT OF WATER and BIRTH DAY.  He recently completed his film FLOAT.  Juan holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Sciences in Biology with a minor in Drama from the University of Calgary.  Born and raised amidst the Canadian Rocky Mountains in Banff, Alberta to a Peruvian mother and a German father, he speaks both Spanish and German fluently.  Together with his wife, he lives in Los Angeles, California.

Julie Lynn Mortensen Catharine Robb Whyte

Julie Lynn Mortensen is a stage and film actress.  For several years she performed on Canadian stages everything from Shakespeare to Musical Theatre to Theatre for Young Audiences to Modern Canadian Political Theatre.  She co-created collectives, original ensemble productions and companies in Canada, including the Collective Displacement Theatre.  In 2011, Julie Lynn won her very first film role, the female lead in DRAWING HOME, impressing producers with her powerful stage-derived acting skills, her natural and honest approach to acting for the camera and her respectful and sensitive interpretation of the late Catharine Whyte.  She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama and a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing from the University of Calgary, Alberta as well as a Bachelor of Education from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.  The daughter of a Canadian mother and Danish father, she was born in Calgary, just east of the Canadian Rocky Mountains in Alberta.  She now lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Kate Mulgrew Edith Morse Robb

Kate Mulgrew has had a distinguished career in theater, television and film.  A few of her notable theatrical roles include EMILY IN OUR TOWN, TRACY LORD IN THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, HEDDA GABLER and her award-winning turn as Katharine Hepburn in TEA AT FIVE.  She was honored with the off-Broadway’s Obie Award for her portrayal of Clytemnestra in IPHIGENIA 2.0.  Selected noteworthy television roles include Mary Ryan (RYAN'S HOPE), Mrs. Columbo and Dr. Joanne Springsteen (HEARTBEAT).  In 1995, Kate created the iconic role of Captain Kathryn Janeway on STAR TREK: VOYAGER, making her the first female captain of a STAR TREK series and earning her a Golden Globes nomination.  Among her films are the classic comedy THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN, REMO WILLIAMS: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS, and most recently, the award-winning docudrama THE RESPONSE.  Kate is currently shooting the new TV series ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK.  She is a passionate advocate against Alzheimer's disease.  Kate studied at the New York University Stella Adler Conservatory and received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters for Artistic Contribution from Seton Hill University in Greensburg, P.A.  A mother of three, she lives in New York City.

Peter Strauss Russell Robb, Sr.

Peter Strauss is a versatile leading television, stage and film actor.  An Emmy winner and  five-time Golden Globes nominee, his first film appearance was in 1969's HAIL HERO.  He attained stardom in the role of Rudy Jordache in the pioneering TV miniseries RICH MAN, POOR MAN and went on to become one of the stalwarts of the made-for-TV movie form.  His roles in this genre have included the title characters in YOUNG JOE, THE FORGOTTEN KENNEDY; PETER GUNN and THICKER THAN BLOOD: THE LARRY MCLINDEN STORY.  In 1979, Peter won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Special for his portrayal of prison lifer-turned-Olympic runner Larry "Rain" Murphy in THE JERICHO MILE.  His film credits include LICENSE TO WED, XXX: STATE OF THE UNION, THE SECRET OF NIMH, FLIGHT OF THE BLACK ANGEL and NICK OF TIME.  Currently, he is starring as Gunner in the off-Broadway presentation of the Delaware Theatre Company's production of Bruce Graham's THE OUTGOING TIDE.  Peter donated his former residence in Agoura, California to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.  It has since been acquired by the National Park Service and is now open to the public as "Peter Strauss Ranch."  He serves on many community committees, including the National Search Dog Foundation, Ojai Youth Foundation, Ojai Film Society and Ojai Music Festival.  He received his training at Northwestern University.  A father of two sons, Peter and his wife split their time between Ojai, California and New York City.

Torrance Coombs Raymond "Kit" Paley

Torrance Coombs is a Vancouver-born film, theater and television actor.  Best known for his role as Thomas Culpepper on the hit series THE TUDORS, his credits include JPOD, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA and END GAME. He currently plays Chase Powers in the hit television series HEARTLAND.  Torrance holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from The University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.  He resides in Los Angeles, California.

Kristin Griffith Jean Caird

Kristin Griffith is a celebrated television, stage and film actress.  In 1978, she made her screen debut as Flyn, opposite Diane Keaton and Mary Beth Hurt, in Woody Allen's INTERIORS.  She furthermore starred as Lizze Acton in the Merchan Ivory film THE EUROPEANS and in Steven Soderbergh's KING OF THE HILL, with Elizabeth McGovern and Spalding Gray.  Additional film credits include ROSE HILL and THE LONG WAY HOME with Jack Lemmon.  Kristin has guest-starred on television series BLUE BLOODS, NEW AMSTERDAM, THIRD WATCH and all franchises of LAW & ORDER.  Recently seen in the play MARY BROOME at New York City's Mint Theater, she also played leading roles in THE CHARITY THAT BEGAN AT HOME, MR. PIM PASSES BY and THE TRUTH ABOUT BLADES.  She Together with her family, she resides in New York City.

Christian Campbell Cliff Whyte

Christian Campbell is an acclaimed theater trained actor, producer and director. Born in Toronto and raised into an acting family that had him onstage and working professionally by the age of 14, his first appearance was on DEGRASSI HIGH.  He was cast in his first series regular role as Teddy Delacourt in MALIBU SHORES for Aaron Spelling.  Christian founded and heads the theater company, Blue Sphere Alliance, in Los Angeles, California.  In the late 1990s, he received newfound attention for his breakout role as Gabriel in the Sundance Grand Jury Prize-nominated film TRICK.  He created the role of Jimmy Harper in the L.A. stage musical REEFER MADNESS which won him Ovation and Drama Circle awards.  Christian reprised the role when the musical moved to New York and then to the small screen as REEFER MADNESS: THE MOVIE MUSICAL for Showtime.  His long list of credits includes series regular roles on THE BOOK OF DANIEL, ALL MY CHILDREN, ONE NIGHT, IBID, BETRAYED, PRETTY DEAD GIRL and CASINO JACK.  Onstage, he portrayed the ill-fated writer, Jonathon Larson, in London and U.S. productions of TICK, TICK BOOM!  In 2010, Christian joined the cast for the final season of HBO's BIG LOVE in the role of Greg Ivey.  He studied at Ryerson University in Toronto.  Together with his wife, they split their time between Toronto, Ontario; Los Angeles, California and New York City.

Rutger Hauer Carl Rungius

Rutger Hauer is a world-renown stage, television and film actor.  His career began in 1969 with the title role in the popular Dutch television series FLORIS.  He went on to star in BLADE RUNNER, BATMAN BEGINS, FLESH + BLOOD, BLIND FURY, THE HITCHER, NIGHTHAWKS, WEDLOCK, SIN CITY, CONFESSIONAL OF A DANGEROUS MIND, LADYHAWKE, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, THE OSTERMAN WEEKEND, THE BLOOD OF HEROES, HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN and THE RIDE.  Rutger received a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for ESCAPE FROM SOBIBOR. He is currently shooting season 6 of the hit TV series TRUE BLOOD as a new series regular. He is a dedicated environmentalist and founded an AIDS awareness organization, the Ruger Hauer Starfish Association.  A father of one, he lives with his wife in Los Angeles, California.

Wallace Shawn The Tourist

Wallace Shawn is an award-winning actor and writer with a distinguished career on stage, TV and film.  The son of renowned editor William Shawn, of the New Yorker, Wallace's long list of acclaimed TV roles include GOSSIP GIRL, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, ALLY MCBEAL, STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE, TAXI and LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT.  His film credits include MELINDA AND MELINDA by Woody Allen, CLUELESS, THE PRINCESS BRIDE, A LITTLE SEX and THE BOSTONIANS.  He has lent his voice to animated projects, including TOY STORY, THE INCREDIBLES, A GOOFY MOVIE and HAPPILY N'EVER AFTER.  Wallace is a graduate of Harvard University, where he studied history, and Magdalen College at Oxford.  Together with his family, he lives in New York City.

crew

A MARGARETHE BAILLOU/ALLAN NEUWIRTH PRODUCTION

Allan Neuwirth Producer

Allan Neuwirth is a prolific, award‐winning writer, producer, director and designer of TV, film and print. He has written or story-edited many award-winning television series, including THE OCTONAUTS (BBC), ARTHUR (PBS), SPEED RACER: THE NEXT GENERATION (Nicktoons), WORDWORLD (PBS), CYBERCHASE (PBS), JUNGLE JUNCTION (Disney Channel), BETWEEN THE LIONS (PBS), MAMA MIRABELLE’S HOME MOVIES (PBS & BBC), COURAGE THE COWARDLY DOG (Cartoon Network); WUBBULOUS WORLD OF DR. SEUSS (Nickelodeon), FIX AND FOXI (BBC), DRAGON TALES (PBS), BIG BAG (Cartoon Network) and M.Y.R.A. Entertainment's OPERATION LITTLE VITTLES: THE CHOCOLATE BOMBER OF THE BERLIN AIRLIFT. He has written books (MAKIN’ TOONS and THEY’LL NEVER PUT THAT ON THE AIR) and illustrated others (WHERE IN AMERICA IS CARMEN SANDIEGO?). Furthermore, he has penned comic book series (THE FLINTSTONES & THE JETSONS) and graphic novels (WONDER WOMAN vs. THE RED MENACE), co-created the popular long-running syndicated comic strip, CHELSEA BOYS, and served as a consultant for PBS’s six-part documentary series, MAKE ‘EM LAUGH: THE FUNNY BUSINESS OF AMERICA. Allan made his feature film directorial debut with the musical documentary, WHAT’S THE NAME OF THE DAME?  A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science, the WGA and BAFTA, he lives in New York City.

Markus Rupprecht Director/Writer/Editor

Markus Rupprecht is a German director, producer, cinematographer, editor, photographer and author. As writer and director, his credits include SANDRAS DAEMONEN, DRACHENFEDER and M.Y.R.A. Entertainment's JORINDE & JORINGEL. As cinematographer, his credits include documentaries for ARTE and ORB as well as feature and short films, including DIE TREUE, TRUTHBRINGER and 1848, and numerous animated and experimental films which have been recognized at film festivals, i.e. the Munich Film Festival, and shown on TV, i.e. on MTV. He has produced an educational CD-ROM on the Middle Ages as well as commercials for a range of international corporations, including Microsoft and Sharp. As a photographer, he has worked on a historical German cookbook. Furthermore, he has won several German literary awards as an author. Markus has taught film and virtual reality at the Universities of Giessen, Augsburg and Freiburg. Together with three colleagues, he invented the DRAKE film camera which attracted attention from film professionals around the world. His training included stints at DEFA, which is now Babelsberg Studios, after the Fall of the Berlin Wall. He lives in the hometown of the Grimm Brothers, in Steinau an der Strasse near Frankfurt, Germany.

Donna Logan Writer

Donna Logan is a writer for both screen and television. She co-wrote the screenplay for the feature film, ALL AMERICAN BOY: THE TAB HUNTER STORY, based on 1950s movie icon Tab Hunterʼs best-selling autobiography.  She was the producer of the documentary film, IT'S UP TO US (PBS) and was a segment producer on the television series, HEROES MADE IN THE USA (Kushner-Locke).  Donna has written other screenplays, including the romantic comedy, COTILLION, and co-wrote the non-fiction book, I CAN HANDLE IT! (Random House).  Donna teaches screenwriting as a guest lecturer at the University of California Santa Barbara College of Creative Studies.  Before establishing her writing career, Donna was an attorney for Columbia Pictures in New York and a partner in an entertainment law firm in Los Angeles, California.  She holds a B.A. in English and Creative Writing from the University of Iowa and a J.D. from the University of Baltimore, Maryland.  A mother of five, she lives in Santa Barbara, California.

Mike Peterson Co-Producer

Michael "Mike" Peterson is an award-winning Canadian filmmaker and founder of Fresh Dog Productions.  His credits include writing, directing and producing fiction films, such as LLOYD THE CONQUEROR, documentaries, music videos and commercials.  Prior to founding Fresh Dog Productions, he interned at Scott Free Productions in Los Angeles, California.  Mike holds a B.A. with Honors in Humanities and Communications from York University and an M.A. in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in the United States.  A father of one, he lives in Calgary, Alberta.

Brendan Hunter Co-Producer

Brendan Hunter is the producer of many award-winning Canadian films and commercials.  A professional voice over artist and film and television actor, he is also a producer at Fresh Dog Productions.  His producing credits include the features EDDIES: THE DOCUMENTARY and the comedy LLOYD THE CONQUEROR, as well as numerous music videos, commercials and short films.  His acting credits include HELL ON WHEELS, HIDING, BURLESQUE ASSASSINS, HANNAH'S LAW, WILD ROSES, numerous cartoons, radio spots and commercials. Brendan is a member of the Canadian Media Production Association.  Together with his wife and two children, he lives in Calgary, Alberta.

Anna Velasco Unit Publicist/Associate Producer

Anna Velasco is a publicist, event and production manager, film and television producer as well as founder and head of Banana Public Relations and Event Management.  Anna’s screen credits include THE TODAY SHOW (NBC), both in New York and at the Vancouver Olympics 2010, and NBC NEWS.  Her clients include Fox Searchlight, the Canadian Film Centre, the Canadian American Business Council as well as numerous corporations and artists on four continents.  Prior to working in PR and the entertainment industry, Anna served as the Cultural Attaché at the Consulate General of Canada in New York City after interning both at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada as well as the White House in Washington, D.C.  Fluent in four languages, Anna holds a B.A. in International Studies and Public Administration from the University of Northern British Columbia and an M.A. in Public Relations and Communications from Royal Roads University in British Columbia, Canada.  She is a member of New York Women in Film & Television and the Canadian American Business Council.  Hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, she lives in New York City.

Patrick McLaughlin Director of Photography

Patrick McLaughlin is an award-winning Canadian cinematographer.  For the past 15 years, he has worked on features, shorts, documentaries, music videos, commercials, reality shows, concerts and corporate videos for a wide range of broadcast and corporate clients.  They include A&E, Discovery, PBS, CBC, NFB, Slice Network, CityTV, Omni, Doc Channel, YTV, CTV, Odeon, E!, The Cave, Movie Central, Superchannel, APTN, CMT, SportsNet and W Network.  Patrick holds a B.F.A. in Film Production from Concordia University in Montreal.  Together with his family, he lives in Calgary, Alberta.

Nancy Novack Editor

Nancy Novack is an Emmy Award-winning feature film and documentary editor.  Her work spans more than two decades and has appeared at premier international film festivals, including Sundance, Tribeca and Venice as well as on numerous major American networks.  Her feature film credits include BOYS, DROP BACK TEN and SUITS.  Her documentary features include OFF THE REZ, THE ACCIDENTAL ADVOCATE, and THE FARM: 10 DOWN, which she also co-directed.  Her television documentaries include WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE by Spike Lee (HBO); CLINTON,  MY LAI and BROADWAY: THE AMERICAN MUSICAL (PBS).  Nancy holds a B.S. in Communications from the University of Pennsylvania where she currently teaches video editing.  Together with her family she lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Deb Green Casting Director

Deborah “Deb” Green is a principal casting director in Canada, producer, screenwriter and head of Deb Green Casting.  Her credits include BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (Focus Features), THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES (Warner Bros./Plan B Entertainment), SHANGHAI NOON (Spyglass Entertainment) and TIDELAND (Capri Films) as well as numerous other Canadian and international productions.  Prior to founding her own casting company, her training included five years at Theatre Calgary.  Deb is a member of the Casting Directors Society of Canada, the Casting Society of America, Women in Film and Television and the Alberta Media Production Industries Association (AMPIA).  Hailing from Montreal and having lived in Calgary, Deb resides in Okanagan Falls, British Columbia.

Yanco Composer

Yanco is a German music composer and musician.  A classically trained pianist, he has worked as composer at the Lippische Landestheater in Detmold, Germany.  His composing credits include ballets, DAS MÄDCHEN MIT DEN SCHWEFELHÖLZERN and DES KAISERS NEUE KLEIDER and the muscial, CAPONE.  His film credits include MORGENSCHWÄRZE, NIMMERMEHR, DRACHENFEDER and SANDRAS DÄMONEN.  For M.Y.R.A., he composed the score for JORINDE & JORINGEL.  His computer game credits include PORT ROYALE, DER PATRIZIER 2 by Ascaraon and HOLIDAY WORLD by Island Games.  Yanco has played the keyboard and base in bands, PSY and quaque.  Currently, he is a band member of Mind the Gap.  He lives in Cologne, Germany.

Frank MacLeod Costume Designer

Frank Macleod is a Canadian theatre and film costume designer.  His films credits include STIX as well as THE CURSE OF THE PIANO.  His theater credits include TINKA'S NEW DRESS for Ronnie Burkett’s Theater of Marionettes, for which he designed a line of smallest hats in the world, and musical comedies CALGARY CARES, THE ISLAND OF TULIPATAN and Roger & Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA for the University of Calgary Operetta Company.  Additional projects included PLANTERS PEANUT, a Hudson Bay Company ad to fashion show headpieces.  Frank is a graduate in performance from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  He lives in Calgary, Alberta.

Bobby Vanonen Production Designer

Bobby Vanonen is a Canadian production designer, illustrator, and custom prop fabricator.  Feature film credits include the THE BURLESQUE ASSASSINS and LLOYD THE CONQUEROR.  His work is furthermore showcased in numerous television and commercial projects. Bobby is the founder and president of Slate Studios, a multimedia facility for artists, musicians, filmmakers and photographers.  He holds a B.A. in English with a minor in Fine Art (Illustration) from the University of Calgary. Together with his family, he lives in Calgary, Alberta.