NOW STREAMING
Determined to keep his late-wife’s dream alive, Dick Wall becomes the unlikely spokesperson for her debut memoir and embarks on an unexpected cross-country promotional tour. He’s joined by his filmmaker son, who is torn between saving his mom’s first book and his concern for how his dad is coping with their new reality. The result is an intimate portrait of love and loss — an ode to the healing power of storytelling.
“A beautifully intimate portrait of loss and never-ending love.”
BOOK AN EVENT
BUY THE DVD
“You take care of our book.”
- Carol Wall to her son, Phil
Carol Wall's Mister Owita’s Guide to Gardening – about cancer, friendship, and cultivating an open heart – was a breakout success. But joy turned to tragedy when the breast cancer she wrote about returned. She died nine months after its publication, and one week before it was named a Top 10 Book of the Year by both USA Today and AARP. Never once speaking on behalf of her life-affirming book, Carol made a simple request of her youngest son, Phil, before her death: “You take care of our book.”
Help Our Outreach and Engagement
“The Book Keepers” is a fiscally sponsored project of the Southern Documentary Fund (SDF), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Contributions are payable to the SDF and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Donations will go towards film related expenses, including screenings and events organized to spark healthy discussions on grief, cancer, caregiving, and healing.
press
The New York Times - Summer Movies 2022
Listen to “Phil Wall processes his grief in the making of The Book Keepers” from the Talking Documentary Podcast
WDBJ7 Interview with Phil & Dick Wall
“The Book Keepers is an emotional page-turner” - Douglas Laman, The Spool
“I cannot commend too highly this insightful documentary.” - Ed McNulty, Visual Parables
“This is a different kind of portrait of grief than movies usually show us.” - Scott Renshaw, Salt Lake City Weekly
“Compelling, heartbreaking, heartwarming, touching, bittersweet, inspirational.” - Wendy Schadewald, Sun This Week
“A thing of beauty.” - Darrel Manson, ScreenFish
“Wall has beautifully structured this tale for maximum poignance.” - MaryAnn Johanson, FlickFilosopher
“A beautifully intimate portrait of loss and never-ending love.” - Michael Calleri, Niagra Gazette
“An affecting documentary about the power and persistence of love and family…” - Toussaint Egan, Polygon
“A keen documentary with spiritual insights into grief and resilience.” - Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality & Practice
“A profoundly personal documentary…” - Rob Aldam, Backseat Mafia
“Will take you through every emotion on the spectrum.” - Chris Jones, Overly Honest Movie Reviews
Popzara Podcast - Interview with Phil and Dick Wall
Matt’s Movie Reviews Podcast - Interview with director Phil Wall
Reading and Writing Podcast - Interview with director Phil Wall
