What it’s like to care for Yellowstone during its quietest – and coldest – months

Steven Fuller has worked as the ‘winterkeeper’ of Yellowstone National Park since 1973, caring for its nearly 3,500 square miles across three US states during the months when the park is at its quietest and coldest. This short documentary from the UK filmmakers David Levene and Laurence Topham features scenes from Fuller’s life there today and photos he’s taken across 50 years, including images of the family he raised at his cabin inside the park. While the scenes, music and even his gentle monotone summon the mythos of the American West, Fuller stresses that his decades at Yellowstone have made him view it as a fragile place rather than a vast, unconquerable one. Each visit leaves an imprint, as does each new year in the climate crisis. But still, even after five decades, he continues to find deep romance and mystery within the park, as well as a beauty that is well captured by the filmmakers in this brief portrait.