The Fort Fisher Hermit: The Life & Death of Robert E. HarrillPremieres Thursday, May 10, at 10 PM, Only on UNC-TV!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 20, 2007
CONTACT: Jen Jones, (919) 549-7169, jenjones@unctv.org

[Photos of “The Fort Fisher Hermit” Robert Harrill and filmmaker Rob Hill are attached to this document. Please visit www.unctv.org/pressroom for more information and images.]

Premieres Thursday, May 10, at 10 PM, Only on UNC-TV!
UNC-TV Presents…The Fort Fisher Hermit: The Life & Death of Robert E. Harrill

For more than 17 years, Robert E. Harrill, better known as “The Fort Fisher Hermit,” lived under the stars, off the land and with contributions from his many coastal North Carolina visitors. During the late 1960s, Harrill became the state’s second largest tourist attraction as thousands of tourists and townies lined up to hear his philosophies at "The School of Common Sense"—all from the abandoned bunker he called “home.”

Experience this unique individual through one-of-a-kind interviews, rare photographs and vintage footage in The Fort Fisher Hermit: The Life & Death of Robert E. Harrill, premiering on UNC-TV, Thursday, May 10, at 10 PM. This enthralling documentary, from Wilmington filmmaker Rob Hill and narrated by Barry Corbin, explores the human behind “The Hermit”—from his tumultuous origins to his mysterious death. The hour-long documentary provides an unprecedented look at the first 64 years of Robert Harrill’s life—an existence that would eventually lead him to his final days at Ft. Fisher.

The Fort Fisher Hermit: The Life & Death of Robert E. Harrill is a production of Common Sense Films. The Wilmington, NC, film company spent 3 years producing and developing a documentary that captures the true spirit of this unique local figure. Common Sense Films came together in January 2002 when they rediscovered this local legend and, after much research and meeting with local historians, they began collecting interviews over a 10-month period that took them throughout North and South Carolina. By December 2002, the Common Sense team had collected almost 25 hours of interviews of those who knew Robert Harrill, over 200 photographs, an audio interview recorded in 1967, as well as a collection of 8mm home movies of this fascinating figure.

See this unprecedented look at this intriguing local treasure in The Fort Fisher Hermit: The Life & Death of Robert E. Harrill, premiering on UNC-TV, Thursday, May 10, at 10 PM.

A press conference to announce the broadcast premiere of The Fort Fisher Hermit: The Life & Death of Robert E. Harrill will be held on Wednesday, May 9, at 10AM, in the auditorium at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. Alongside The Fort Fisher Hermit: The Life & Death of Robert E. Harrill filmmakers, representatives from the Fort Fisher Aquarium, Fort Fisher State Recreation Site, Regional Film Commission and North Carolina’s independent film community will be in attendance.

Common Sense Films along with the Pleasure Island Chamber of Commerce recently presented a contribution to the Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, a division of the NC State Park System, to create and install informational placards that include both photos and information about the life of Robert Harrill and the years he lived at the bunker. Today, the bunker sits along a stretch of hiking trails that allow visitors to travel through the beautiful undeveloped beach and marshes between the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean. Following the press conference, the exhibit signs will be unveiled at the bunker.

Inspired by the documentary, the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher has developed The Fort Fisher Hermit School of Common Sense. This environmental education tour begins with a screening of the film and ends at the hermit’s bunker. A special edition of that program will be held on May 10, at 1 PM. The Fort Fisher Hermit filmmakers and other friends for the Hermit will be special guest hosts of this one-of-a-kind guided tour.

Don’t miss this opportunity to meet the people that knew the real man behind the Hermit, and the filmmaker of in The Fort Fisher Hermit: The Life & Death of Robert E. Harrill.

For additional information about the press conference, please contact Richard Sirianni at (910) 264-9345 or via e-mail at MulberryEnt@aol.com.

UNC-TV is North Carolina’s only member-supported statewide broadcasting system, made possible through a unique partnership of public investment and private support. The Fort Fisher Hermit: The Life & Death of Robert E. Harrill is part of UNC-TV’s commitment to producing and broadcasting programs for and about North Carolina, making it one of the state’s most important sources of information.

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