Filmmaker Mars Verrone has a conversation with their grandfather, Carroll B. Williams, Jr., in the twilight of his life. Driven by his love of forests and by personal ambition, Williams persisted against institutional racism to become the first Black forester in the U.S. Forest Service. This close exchange between grandchild and grandfather is shown through layered imagery of personal memorabilia and the lush woodlands that Williams worked to protect. Shot among the redwood forests and the carefully arranged spaces of Williams’s home, the film reflects on legacy, the natural world, and the shifting landscapes of time and generations. As his memory begins to fail, the redwoods stand witness to a lifetime. KL

Q&A following screening