Mark Sutherland knew nothing about filmmaking when he set out in 2016 on a self-described three-week bucket list tour with his dog, Abby. It wasn't long before people took notice of their adventure, which led to his first documentary (or perhaps “dogumentary") titled "Abby's List."
A Columbus native, he spent time as a radio personality and later lived in Los Angeles, working with the Disney company to assist in launching the Disney radio network. After a while, he felt a need to do something fulfilling. So, he packed up, and with Abby in tow, he set out on what was supposed to be a three-week cross-country road trip.
After three weeks on the road driving a used Mercedes SUV with 100,000 miles, Sutherland arrived in Columbus. During their travels, he shot a video of the trip and decided to post it online. It immediately garnered around 30,000 views in a few days.
"I was like wow, you know, something's happening here," Sutherland said. “It's bigger than we are."
Sutherland decided to replant roots in Columbus and turn the video into a documentary. He and Abby set out on a few more adventures and then went into post-production. He decided to do the post work in Columbus instead of L.A., where the cost would skyrocket, he said.
“Abby's List" is a love story between an aging dog and its owner – and what happens when both set out to accomplish a bucket list by spending time on the road visiting places like the White House; Mount Vernon, Ohio; Sea World; and a yacht. Abby is a whippet, a cross between a terrier and greyhound, Sutherland said.
Sutherland shot a portion of the film in Mount Vernon partly because of his connection to the town. His mom was born here, and his grandparents owned a greeting card store in the city. It's also a short drive from Columbus.
"I saw a Facebook post from a woman who had a three-legged deer named Trooper," Sutherland explained. "I immediately thought how great it would be if Abby met Trooper. So, we went to Knox County, and there's a lovely scene in the movie involving the two."
Though it was an excellent opportunity, and he was lucky enough to raise $145,000 from donors around the country to make it happen, the film was not a one-person venture. He had help along the way from friends with filming scenes and setups, but he could have used more.
His biggest challenge was ensuring take after take wasn't too taxing for Abby.
"We didn't set out to make a film. This was supposed to be a fun excursion for the both of us, especially Abby," he said.
Sutherland has submitted the 91-minute film to several film festivals, including one in Australia. He's hoping to get the film released to the public soon.
After Abby died in 2019 at the age of 16.5, Sutherland had time to reflect on what the film meant.
"It became clear that the scene we shot in Mount Vernon was one of the hearts of the film," he said. "It was deeply satisfying knowing we had one of our best experiences in Mount Vernon, the town where my mom grew up."
