1990: Vancouver writer Peggy Thompson and director Peg Campbell win a Genie for their comedy In Search of the Last Good Man. Thompson decides the timing is right to begin writing her own first dramatic feature. She sets the film in the '60s on one of British Columbia's Gulf Islands, where she herself had spent most of her life.

The story begins when a hip young schoolteacher arrives from Quebec in her vw van, guitar in tow, and the whole island falls in love with her. Trouble brews, however, when the father of one of her students begins having an affair with the teacher and his daughter finds out. She then resorts to black magic in an attempt to make things return to the way they were before.

Like most writers working without a deadline, it took about three years to complete.

Winter 1990: Telefilm Canada and B.C. Film contribute funding for development. The National Film Board offers goods and services.

Summer 1991: McGowan, who has been attached to the project in an advisory role, comes on board as producer - her first dramatic feature - on the condition they also bring in Alexandra Raffe (I've Heard The Mermaids Singing) as executive producer.

Fall 1991: McGowan begins the daily grind of dialing for dollars to every distributor in the country. There's lots of "interest" but no cash commitment.

Fall 1991: After six months of sending drafts of the script to Raffe, she joins the project.

Winter 1991: Raffe shows the script to Sheila McCarthy. She agrees to a feature role.

Spring 1992: Thompson and McGowan begin their search for a director. Their first choice, Vancouver-based Sandy Wilson, is interested and agrees to do the film, but bows out due to a commitment to Harmony Cats. Through Raffe's contacts in Toronto, the name Paul Shapiro (Hockey Night), a Canadian living in l.a., comes up. His skills with children and strong visual style clinch the deal.

Spring 1992: Still no distribution deal. "We came to the horrible realization that everyone was about to disappear to Cannes, and then the even worse realization hit us that when they came back they would have spent all their money," says Thompson.

So a week before Cannes they book appointments with all the Canadian distributors and hop on a plane to Toronto. Just before leaving, John Taylor, director of operations for Telefilm in b.c., calls and suggests Malofilm, which, given its recent purchase of Nova in Calgary, is now interested in picking up more Western films.

They arrive at Malofilm's office in Toronto to meet with Jim Murphy.

June 1992: Malofilm picks up Canadian distribution rights for $200,000 and applications are rushed off to the funding agencies.

July 1992: They begin scouting for locations. On Galiano Island they discover Connie Kennedy, identical twin sister of Kathleen Kennedy, Stephen Speilberg's producer. Connie used to work in the film industry in the U.S. but is now living on the island.

The "Connie Kennedy factor" seals the deal for Galiano, and Kennedy comes on board as locations manager.