Directed by Angus Benfield and Kendall Bryant, written by Todd Tavolazzi, The Keeper tells the true story of how George Eshleman continued to fight for those who had lost a war with themselves. After recognising a disturbing trend in suicide levels among veterans, ex-army man George decides to embark on a solo mission to raise awareness and pay tribute to his fallen brothers and sisters in arms.
With three-hundred and sixty-three military name tapes attached to his backpack, George sets off to hike the longest hiking-only footpath on Earth – the Appalachian Trail. The trail is over two thousand miles long, stretching between Maine and Georgia, and takes between 5 and 7 months to complete. Before setting off on his journey, George meets a group of young hikers who are also serving in the military. The friendly banter that ensues is of great comfort to George. Without this group support, it’s very easy to slip into the darkness, alone. This is perhaps one of the causes in the high rates of depression amongst vets. Deciding to hike the trail alone means George is not only carrying the great emotional burden of the names, but also his own fears and struggles too. At the times when these struggles almost overwhelm him, there is always something or someone to keep George going. Whether it’s bumping into the group of young people from the base camp, a father and son duo or simply taking in the astonishing beauty of the scenery: the trail, as becomes thematically relevant throughout the film, provides.
One way the trail provides is by creating a sense of community. As the military is a community with its own customs, so is the trail. A particular custom of the trail is to have a trail name. George earns his name the Keeper as he is keeper of the names and memories of the veterans he is carrying.
Despite their physical and emotional weight, the tapes become not a burden but an honour. Through the help and encouragement of those he meets, George is able to continue on his mission spreading awareness about veteran suicide rates. He learns things about himself and about the struggles of others as it seems to become easier to open up about things to the strangers he meets. Through all the highs and lows, both physically in terms of the topography of the trail and the emotional challenges, one message becomes clear. You are not alone.
The Keeper is filled with beautiful moments. The cinematography beautifully captures the landscape and intimate conversations by firelight. Angus Benfield as George gives a strong performance that develops and matures throughout the film. He continually finds the right level of emotion, mostly stoic and steady but occasionally dipping into anger, frustration and pain. Benfield holds nothing back from this performance. Surrounding him is a great cast of other trail walkers. Michael Maclane as Mini-Me is particularly commendably in his role as the cocksure marine. Haley Babula, Andrew Ferguson, Nicholas Asad are also strong performers, each bringing their own personality to the tight-knit foursome. Walking in perfect cadence with both George’s mission and the scenery is the music of Eden Mulholland. The lone military snare used at times reminded me of John Williams’ ‘Hymn to the Fallen’ from Saving Private Ryan. The depth of emotion expressed here pulls at your heart when you don’t expect it.
Both on screen and behind the camera, Benfield takes bold strides with this film to tell an important story about George Eshleman and his quest to raise awareness about, and ultimately prevent, veteran suicides.
The Keeper will be released May 27th – Memorial Day. Watch the trailer below.