An 86-year-old man living alone on a sinking island at the edge of New York City is the first and possibly last guardian of one of the world’s most critical waterways.
SYNOPSIS
This cinematic short will spotlight a singular person’s lifelong connection to and fight for one of the world’s most complex habitats: A bay that divides the nation's most populous city on one side and its busiest international airport on the other. Stuck in between is an incredibly rich but poorly understood ecosystem, as well as some of the region's only recreational swimming, fishing and surfing areas. This is a deeply personal narrative, told with authenticity through the eyes of our protagonist, with global implications.
THE LAST GUARDIAN is a story of simple pleasures and true, salt-of-earth environmental stewardship: The act of quietly observing the world outside your backyard and — perhaps foolishly — trying to get others to give a damn, too. Far from the noise of corporate sustainability buzzwords and greenwashing campaigns, the world within this quietly observed portrait will capture the dignity and loneliness of a man who’s dedicated his life to a place he alone cannot save. But one that is clearly worth fighting for.
ABOUT FILMMAKER(S)
Director Julia de Guzman
Julia de Guzman is a writer and filmmaker whose work focuses on the human side of climate, science, and social justice. She recently directed Leaves of Three, a modern-day fairytale/documentary short exploring the parallels between land protection and bodily autonomy. She was co-producer of the feature documentaries "The Arc of Oblivion" (directed by Ian Cheney and executive produced by Werner Herzog) and Shelf Life, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Producer
Greg Boustead
Greg Boustead is a Peabody and Emmy Award-winning producer whose previous projects include the Oscar-nominated feature documentary "Fire of Love" and the recent Sundance Special Jury Prize and Audience Award-winning documentary "Andre Is an Idiot," which will be released in theaters next year. In 2019, Greg founded the documentary studio Sandbox Films, where he oversaw the production of over 25 feature documentaries that were acquired by Netflix, Apple+ Original Films, NEON, Hulu, and Disney/National Geographic, among others. Greg oversaw all aspects of the company until leaving to pursue independent projects in 2024.
PROMOTE THIS PROJECT
Put a donation widget on your site. Click here for code.
ABOUT YOUR DONATION
Women Make Movies (WMM), Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit media arts organization registered with the New York Charities Bureau of New York State and accepts charitable donations on behalf of this project. Your donation will be spent by the filmmaker(s) toward the production and completion of this media project. No services or goods are provided by Women Make Movies, the filmmaker(s) or anyone else associated with this project in exchange for your charitable donation.
Your contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law, and a confirmation of your donation will be sent via email. WMM will send you an acknowledgement letter in the mail to the address listed for tax purposes.