Conservation Hits Close to Home in Director Matthew Boyd's Short Documentary 'The Careist'

These stunning frames put a local spin on global ecology

Filmmakers travel to far-flung locations around the globe to make documentaries about conservation. But in the short documentary “The Careist,” director Matthew Boyd turns his lens on the Cache River Wetlands of Southern Illinois, where he grew up, and Max Hutchison, a naturalist and ecologist, who has dedicated his life to protecting this vital landscape.

Here, Boyd, a copywriter at Carmichael Lynch, talks about why and how he made this film, now available on Vimeo after a successful festival run, and what it means to be a “careist.”

MUSE: I enjoyed getting to know Max Hutchison through this film. I could feel his love of nature. Why did you want to make a film about him?

Matthew Boyd: First of all, Southern Illinois is an often forgotten place. When you look at films about adventure or wildlife conservation, those stories typically take place on the coast or in tourism destinations. A place like the Cache River is just as beautiful and ecologically important as the more well-known wetlands in the United States. At the same time, I think a person like Max deserves a spotlight. When you walk into a store like REI or The North Face, the athletes on the wall don’t look like Max. Yet, it’s people like Max who protect the places these athletes and all of us enjoy.

Why did you title the film “The Careist?”

Max never wanted to call himself by a formal title and didn’t want to take credit for anything that would somehow seem self-promotional. He was very humble. So, we asked him what “-ist” he would call himself, and that’s when he gave us the idea of a “careist.” I think a “careist” is somebody who cares about the things that are in front of them. That probably includes people and nature, but also tasks, a job, or anything that falls under your responsibility. The difference between caring about something and just doing something is the heart you put in it.

The cinematography is beautiful. Can you tell me a bit about how you shot the film and the challenges you faced filming in and around the swamp?

We shot the film on the Arri Alexa 35 with P+S Technik Kowa Anamorphic lenses. This combination isn’t a typical or even a sensible documentary camera setup, but we were committed to capturing the wetlands in an unexpected way. Anamorphic lenses distort the image and create a frame much wider than tall, which helped create a visual tension with the towering trees. This combination perfectly captured how otherworldly the swamps feel at the southern tip of Illinois. 

Who edited the film, and how did you approach telling this story?

The film was edited by Ryan Meyer at Tandem Post. We knew we wanted to make everything build up to Max calling himself a “Careist,” and we spent a lot of time working out how much of his story to reveal, since we wanted to educate viewers about Southern Illinois, the wetlands and also Max’s life and vision. 

How did you fund this project?

We made the film with almost no money. We slept in my childhood bedroom, used equipment we had on hand and ate meals my mom cooked as we filmed in the swamp and on Max’s property 15 miles away. Everything in this film was captured within roughly a 10-mile radius, which I think is unique for these types of stories.

The Careist played a number of festivals. Any stories to share? Favorite festival? Best screening?

We got to share the film at Wasatch Mountain Film Festival, which was special because it’s a true adventure mountain festival. I was surprised we got in at all. But it was humbling to see how Max’s message transcends genres, feats of achievement and personalities. The audience was very positive about the film and the message. 

What do you want people to get out of watching this film?

I hope people watching this film get to see Southern Illinois as I see it. I also hope it encourages them to be more like Max—to care.