Get curated editors’ picks, peeks behind the scenes, film recommendations and more.
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.
Directors: David Levene, Laurence Topham
Website: Guardian Documentaries
video
Stories and literature
Robert Frost’s poetic reflection on youth, as read in his unforgettable baritone
5 minutes
video
Film and visual culture
‘Bags here are rarely innocent’ – how filmmakers work around censorship in Iran
8 minutes
video
Language and linguistics
Closed captions suck. Here’s one artist’s inventive project to make them better
8 minutes
video
Architecture
The celebrated architect who took inspiration from sitting, waiting and contemplating
29 minutes
video
Subcultures
Drop into London’s eclectic skate scene, where newbies and old-timers find community
5 minutes
video
Rituals and celebrations
A whale hunt is an act of prayer for an Inuit community north of the Arctic Circle
8 minutes
video
Music
The peculiar beauty of a song caught between composition and improvisation
3 minutes
video
Rituals and celebrations
A beginner’s guide to a joyful Persian tradition of spring renewal and rebirth
3 minutes
video
Love and friendship
Love looks a bit different for a chain-smoking couple in a small apartment
11 minutes