O Mother Gaia: The World of Gary Snyder at 25th Annual Nevada City Film Festival

Last month marked the 95th birthday of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, environmental activist, and longtime Nevada City resident Gary Snyder—a towering figure in American letters whose work has influenced generations of writers, thinkers, and changemakers.

In celebration of this milestone, the 25th Annual Nevada City Film Festival will present the first feature-length documentary on Snyder’s life and legacy: “O Mother Gaia,” directed by London-based filmmaker Colin Still, on Saturday, June 21 at 4pm at the historic Nevada Theatre, and again on Sunday, June 22 at 7pm at the 21+ Onyx Theatre.

Filmed on 16mm, the documentary is a lyrical and deeply personal portrait of one of the most respected and enigmatic voices in American poetry and the Deep Ecology movement. Shot primarily at Snyder’s Kitkitdizze/Ring of Bone Zendo home on the San Juan Ridge, it weaves together Still’s interview with Snyder from the 1990’s along with archival footage from the 1950s and ’60s, rare interviews, and readings—both intimate and iconic. It features contributions from literary and cultural luminaries including Peter Coyote, Jane Hirshfield, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Shoemaker, Michael McClure, and a poignant appearance by Snyder’s late wife, Carole Koda.

“What attracted me to Snyder’s work was his spare, tightly focused language, his deep knowledge of and respect for the natural world, and, although I was not myself a Buddhist, the spiritual dimension of his work,” wrote Still in a recent essay for the Library of America.

Still first encountered Snyder in 1986, when he hitchhiked to the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival in rural New Jersey to see Snyder read alongside Allen Ginsberg and Amiri Baraka. Inspired, he approached Snyder with the idea of a film. Back in the UK, Still secured funding from Channel 4 Television to create a five-part short documentary series on American poets, with Snyder as a centerpiece.

Though the original film aired to acclaim, Still’s vision for a longer, more expansive version never materialized—until decades later, when the rights reverted back to him. He meticulously re-digitized and re-edited the original material, combing through hours of footage and interviews to create what is now “O Mother Gaia.” The film, together with a companion piece, “Songs from Turtle Island,” runs 127 minutes.

Completed in 2024—nearly 30 years after the original shoot—the film received its world premiere in March 2025 at the International Buddhist Film Festival in San Rafael. To the joy of the filmmaker and audience alike, Snyder was in attendance, receiving a standing ovation from the sold-out crowd.

Snyder’s work remains profoundly relevant today, rooted in ecological consciousness, spiritual exploration, and a fierce commitment to justice and sustainability. His poetry and prose challenge us to reimagine our relationship with the natural world—and with one another. “O Mother Gaia” is not just a tribute to his life, but a meditation on the timeless values that have defined it.

Director Colin Still will be in attendance for both screenings.