THE MAKERS of "Trail of Hope: The Story of the Mormon Trail" ran into an unusual problem during production of the documentary.
Their attempts at re-creating the hardships endured by two handcart companies were temporarily thwarted by the weather. Whereas the pioneers had to struggle through mountains of snow in Wyoming, the filmmakers experienced just the opposite."We worked real hard to be site specific," said producer Lee Groberg. "And it never snowed enough in Martin's Cove."
Which is not to say that "Trail of Hope" doesn't capture what it must have been like for the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who made the 1,300-mile trek between 1847-69. Not only is the documentary full of history and historical perspective, but it brings to life the hardships as well as the resolute perseverance of the 70,000 people who made the journey.
Groberg, who also directed the film and is one of its contributing writers, uses extensive footage of re-creations of the trek. There's one scene of men carrying survivors of an ill-fated handcart trip through icy waters that's enough to chill viewers even on the hottest of summer days.
Shot out by Willard Bay, it was a day that featured "gosh-awful weather."
"I have to say in 13 years of filming that was the most brutal of my life," Groberg said. "I felt terrible for the people, but they were troupers."
He produced "Trail of Hope" in association with KUED and Weber State University. Although it has its local debut Sunday at 8 p.m., it will be aired nationally on PBS on Sunday, Aug. 10.
"It's a dream come true to do a project that you know is going to be watched by millions of people," Groberg said.
And it's the culmination of 21 months of effort on his part. In addition to all the historical research, Groberg has walked and/or ridden the 1,300-mile Mormon Trail four times. He also spent 34 hours in a helicopter flying over it, from Nauvoo, Ill., to Salt Lake City and back again.
Like other projects of this type, "Trail of Hope" uses historical photos and art and more than 60 people reading the words written by pioneers of the 19th century. (They even made an effort to find voices that matched the accents of the writers - whether they be New Englanders or old Englanders or Welshmen or whatever.)
A variety of historical experts provide facts, background and commentary. There are brief interviews with present-day figures like LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley and Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt.
But "Trail of Hope" leans heavily on present-day footage, whether it be gorgeous shots of scenery in Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming and Utah or re-creations done by volunteers outfitted with historically accurate equipment and attire.
"When you look at the history of something of that time period you have options," Groberg said. "You have very limited photographs. . . . You've got artwork, but you're limited by what's out there. So we chose to supplement that with footage we shot.
"I tried not to make this a docudrama. We don't have actors speaking lines, but we focus on images. We tried to capture the feelings and the emotions of history."
While "Trail of Hope" might be new territory for a national audience, there's much to be learned for Utahns as well. Even for members of the LDS Church.
"Growing up as a member of the church, I just never paid much attention to it," Groberg said. "As we got into the research I started to learn the great organizational efforts that went into a 22-year process of gathering people to Utah. It's an amazing story in American history."
But "Trail of Hope" does not come off as a religious tract.
"While this was not funded by the (LDS) Church, the Sesquicentennial Committee was very interested in it," Groberg said. "The church opened its doors wide to all of its historical and archival information."
And there's also no attempt to play down the religious aspects. "Trail of Hope" opens with look at early Mormon history, from the church's origins in upstate New York through the migrations to and persecutions in Ohio, Missouri and Illinois.
"It's a religious story and I've had to be very careful not to inject my bias into it," Groberg said. "I felt a strong need to remain objective. We went east and west to find experts."
To that end, he searched for a variety of historians - five are LDS, five are non-LDS. Of the four writers, two are LDS, two are non-LDS.
"And we frequently went to our experts and said, `Are we selling too much Sunday School? Is it accurate? Is it fair?' " Groberg said.
Groberg and the documentary's writers trod a fine line extremely well. This is the story of a religious movement that treats the subject with respect but balances it with straight historical analysis.
"Trail of Hope" also benefits from the presence of Hal Holbrook as its narrator.
"We wanted a voice that lent dignity to the story," Groberg said.
And it wasn't difficult to persuade the award-winning actor to sign on.
"Basically, we just called him up and asked him," Groberg said. "He really got into it. He started to live it and feel it. There's no question that he lent credibility to the story."
"Trail of Hope" was written by Heidi Swinton, with contributing writers Lyndia Carter and Maggie St. Claire. The cinematographers included T.C. Christensen, Mark Goodman (who also edited), Gordon Huston, McKeen Worthen and Mark Taft.
Sam Cardon and Merrill Jenson made good use of familiar LDS hymns - made all the more effective by the fact that they used historically accurate renditions. "Come, Come Ye Saints" sounds a bit different than it usually does in modern arrangements, for example.
"The way Mormons sing it today is not the way it was originally written," Groberg said. "We've taken period music and done it the way they did it then."
At two hours, "Trail of Hope" is just about the right length. Certainly, there was more information that could have been used.
"There are a lot of wonderful stories we never told. You've got a two-hour show just telling the story of the handcart companies," Groberg said. "But I'd rather whet people's appetites and leave them wanting more than have them get sick of it and shut it off at hour three."
*****
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
`Trail' airs Sunday
"Trail of Hope: The Story of the Mormon Trail," produced by KUED and Weber State University, will debut on Ch. 7 at 8 p.m. Sunday, July 20. It will air nationally on PBS on Aug. 10.
*****
Producer discovers deeds of pioneer ancestors
Lee Groberg knew that at least one of his ancestors came across the Plains to Utah during the pioneer era, "and that was about it."
But, in doing the research for the TV documentary "Trail of Hope," which he produced, Groberg discovered that his great-great-grandfather (George Facer), his great-great-grandmother (Mary Pryor Facer) and his great grandfather (George H. Facer - who was 1 1/2 years old at the time) crossed the Plains with the last handcart company in 1861.
And just last month, Groberg met a great-uncle at a family reunion who recalls speaking with his father about emigrating to Utah.
"It's remarkable to be that close to the event," he said.