The Ghost Mountain Experiment
Running time: 76 mins
World PremiereThe fascinating story of the first hippie family?surprisingly in the 1930s.
The word ?desert? conjures up images of a grim, desolate wasteland choked by unbearable heat and populated by venomous reptiles and thorn-covered plants. On the edge of California?s Colorado Desert, a simple adobe house was built 75 years ago atop a windswept waterless ridge, aptly named Ghost Mountain.
It was here that the family of an eccentric naturalist, author and artist, Marshal South, chose to live a primitive existence for 17 years during the Depression and World War II. However, the journey turns out to be not what they had hoped for, and the once content South family must face challenges they could never have predicted.
The story of Marshal South?s dream appeals to our pioneer spirit. The saga of a strong, resourceful and resilient family surviving alone on an isolated mountaintop fascinates and inspires us but also challenges us to evaluate our own lives and perceptions. John McDonald reveals The Ghost Mountain Experiment?the ?glorious experiment.?
The short film preceding The Ghost Mountain Experiment is also by John McDonald and was made 35 years before The Ghost Mountain Experiment when John was a student at USC.
Preceded by: Cotton Eye Joe; dir. John McDonald; 13 min.; The simple but compelling true story of an African-American vagabond named Joe. The film was completed as a student project at USC in 1971.
MAVERICK COMPETITION