Courtesy photo Left to right, Charlevoix Historical Society President Denise Fate, brother and sister Brian and Anne Belanger, Tamara Burns and Gene Hopkins at the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences-Michigan Chapter 2017 Emmy Awards in Detroit. Anne Belanger, producer and owner of Bon Ami Filmworks, received an Emmy award for The Wizard of Boulder Park, Best Historical Documentary.

ROGERS CITY — A happenstance drive led Anne and Brian Belanger to their now Emmy award winning documentary “The Wizard of Bolder Park.”

The Emmy was awarded on Saturday during the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences-Michigan Chapter 2017 Emmy Awards in Detroit.

“How it got started was Brian and I were headed to the Charlevoix library to discuss the movie “November Requiem,” which was a film we made. We arrived early so we took a drive. Brian was inspired by the iconic homes we saw. We then were interested to know about any history on them,” Anne said.

There wasn’t much in the way of a documentary, she said.

“We started poking around and met with the historical society and asked if they would partner,” she said.

The film focuses on Earl Young and the homes and buildings constructed in the lakeside town of Charlevoix. Brian was the writer, director and editor and Anne was the producer.

Brian wanted to tell the story of Earl Young and the work he did, Anne said. For the film they interviewed history experts, and preservationists.

“We met with David Miles who is the curator of the Charlevoix Historical Museum,” she said. “We filmed everything on location. Filming started in February of 2013.”

The film was released in June 2015. Funding for the film was provided by the Charlevoix County Community Foundation, the Guthman Family Foundation, the Michigan Architectural Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs.

The film was shown at the Charlevoix Theater and Public Broadcasting Stations in Detroit and Central Michigan University.

The homes at the center of the movie are unique in style and structure.

“(Earl Young) was really a visionary. He really believed in nature,” she said.

Anne said the homes look as if they’re nestled into the ground and have organic, nature-inspired lines and materials.

“He would walk the land and study the trees. He would cull these huge massive boulders from Lake Michigan and determine how they would be used in a structure. He wanted them to be almost like a Hobbit house. He was also short in stature; many of his interiors the ceiling was pretty low. To tell people driving past them ‘You’ll never see anything like it.’ There’s over 31 structures he designed. He also had a big personality,” she said.

The Belangers said since the documentary was released the city of Charlevoix has done more to protect the homes.

“I was first drawn to Earl’s more fanciful homes, the ones that looked as though they had appeared from a Tolkien book,” Brian said. “But though these represent only a portion of his work, they gave us the name ‘mushroom homes’ to represent his works. Later he developed a more modernist style that owed little to the fairy tales that inspired him in the beginning. Now his entire collection of homes is protected to some extent by the historic district in Charlevoix. I like to think that the film had something to do with that, and that makes me feel proud.”

Anne said they were honored to be given the award.

“We never go in expecting we will win, we were honored. It’s true when people say it’s an honor just to be nominated. It sure is a thrill to be a recipient,” she said. “Working with my brother is the best thing. We’re really close. I love working with him because he’s so creative we end up really talking and digging deeper in the story. We have a really good production team. I love interviewing people, I love the conversations. It’s more than just an interview it’s having that conversation.”

The work with the residents of Charlevoix meant everything, she said.

“They cherish their community. They want to preserve their community. So it shows the community support behind Earl’s work. That speaks to our culture,” she said.

Jordan Spence can be reached via email at jspence@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5687.