The Hudson River has long carried the story of New York — as a transportation route, a source of food and recreation, and for many years, a dumping ground.
A new documentary, The Keeper, follows one of the people who spent decades watching over it.
Radio Catskill’s Patricio Robayo spoke with filmmaker Jon Bowermaster, director of The Keeper, a documentary about longtime Hudson Riverkeeper boat captain John Lipscomb. For 25 years, Lipscomb patrolled the Hudson River by wooden boat, traveling more than 80,000 miles while helping defend the river from pollution and environmental threats.
Bowermaster described Lipscomb as the “eyes and ears” of environmental protection on the Hudson.
“He was out there constantly on the lookout for environmental abuses or people breaking laws,” Bowermaster said. He compared Lipscomb’s presence on the river to a police car slowly driving around a neighborhood — a reminder that someone is watching.
The film looks at Lipscomb’s decades of work on the river and the larger story of the Hudson’s recovery. Once known nationally for pollution, the Hudson has seen major improvements thanks in part to environmental advocates and organizations working along the river for generations.
Bowermaster said Lipscomb had appeared in several of his earlier short films about Hudson River issues, including PCBs, nuclear power plants and trains carrying crude oil along the river. Over time, Bowermaster said, Lipscomb became the natural storyteller for a larger film about the state of the Hudson River today.
“He’s just such a great character,” Bowermaster said. “He’s articulate and cantankerous and happy to help.”
Bowermaster, who has lived in the Hudson Valley for nearly 40 years, said making the film close to home gave him a deeper appreciation for the region. After years of working on environmental stories around the world, he said he realized he did not need to travel far to find powerful stories about nature, people and place.
“What I’ve found from confining my work to the Hudson Valley versus traveling around the world is you get to know your backyard better,” Bowermaster said.
The Keeper also captures the beauty of the river over several years of filming. Bowermaster said that even people who do not consider themselves environmentalists may come away with a renewed appreciation for the Hudson.
“If you live here in the Hudson Valley, you’ll be happily surprised by the incredible beauty we were able to capture,” he said.
The film also follows a moment of transition. By the end of the documentary, Lipscomb retires from his role as Riverkeeper’s boat captain. Bowermaster said Riverkeeper has since hired Luis Melendez to continue the work on the water.
The Keeper is produced by Carolyn Marks Blackwood and Jon Bowermaster, and directed by Bowermaster. The film’s website describes Lipscomb as “cantankerous, charismatic and passionately committed,” reflecting on 25 years patrolling the Hudson River.
The documentary will be screened Saturday, May 16 at 7 p.m. at Catskill Brewery in Livingston Manor. The screening is hosted by Catskill Mountainkeeper.
For more information about the film, visit the-keeper.com.