The Blue Heron of Shelby Bottoms

Preparing for his own natural burial at age 40, Evan Johnson spends his final days reflecting on his relationship with the earth, sharing stories with his two sons, and celebrating his life with a festival of his namesake.

At age 40, Evan, a husband and father, is battling cancer. His friends organize a weekend of events as a living memorial - Evan Fest is born. This is where much of the spoken content will emerge. With observational verité, the footage is intimate and honest.

The film opens with a biographical song (from Evan Fest) as background on Evan’s life - getting the viewer invested in his character from the outset.

We then see Evan’s deep sense of spirituality and reverence for nature as he gives a tree tour of his backyard as well as the natural burial ground where his body will rest. He shares why a natural burial is important to him, ecologically and theologically.

Lastly, an evening of story and song, we hear Evan reflecting his gratitude and Laura reading a poem amidst the crowd of loved ones. The emotional vulnerability of Evan, Laura, and their two boys carry the weight of the film with depth and grace.

The general structure of the film is based around Evan Fest, but our stylistic choices will add poetic abstraction. While we have a vision of the included elements, our main question at this point involves the ordering of these moments to make for a compelling and cohesive narrative.

Director, Producer | Kyle Jonas

Producer | Laura Wallace