This was the first of the short documentaries produced in partnership with the Barrier Islands Center, a regional museum and cultural center located in Machipongo, Virginia. In this poignant film, three former inhabitants of the long-lost settlement of Broadwater recall their unique way of life on Hog Island, a remote barrier island off Virginia’s Eastern Shore.
With a combination of self-sufficiency, deep connection to the land and water, and strong community bonds, generations of families were able to survive and thrive under challenging conditions, until a devastating hurricane brought their lifestyle to an end.
Featuring rare archival photographs of the evocative landscapes and sturdy families who once inhabited this austere and beautiful area, Our Island Home provides a moving, eye-opening account of a little-known chapter in American coastal history.