Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World

The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Northern Arizona premiere of “Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World” showing Sept. 18-24 at the Mary D. Fisher and Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatres.

If poetry had a pop icon, Mary Oliver would be it. Celebrated bestseller, Pulitzer Prize winner, lover of dogs and long walks in the woods, openly queer but intensely private, Oliver was America’s unlikely contemporary mystic, stalking the ponds and forests of Cape Cod for nearly 50 years in order to open herself — and her readers — to the known and unknowable world.

From a lonely childhood to literary fame, Oliver’s life was shaped by devotion to nature, paying attention, and the long journey toward learning to love and to be loved. Her poems inspire liberals and conservatives, atheists and believers, naturalists and urbanites, speaking directly to contemporary anxieties about attention, presence, and the human relationship with the natural world — issues that feel especially pressing in an era of climate crisis, digital distraction, and social fragmentation.

Featuring interviews with her close friends, including John Waters, never-before-seen personal photos, notebooks, and correspondence from her archive, and recitations of her work by Stephen Colbert, Lucy Dacus, Steve Buscemi, and Oprah Winfrey, “Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World” considers the poet’s long lifetime of work in context, capturing the uniqueness of her world and the natural beauty that inspired her.

“An entertaining bio-doc that puts due emphasis on Oliver’s writing, in all its elegant and empathetic simplicity … makes an affecting case for her work and gives us a vivid look at her world.” — Wall Street Journal

“The film seeks to explain why Oliver’s poetry means so much to so many people … making space for audiences to have their own experiences with her poems. Tidbits of these have become almost aphoristic, but the fuller context a film like this brings can result in more appreciation, for new readers and longtime fans alike.” — The New York Times

“I am moved by its soft nature that mirrors Oliver’s practice and mind.” — RogerEbert.com

“Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World” will be shown at the Mary D. Fisher and Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatres Sept. 18-24. Showtimes will be Friday and Monday, Sept. 18 and 21 at 4:00 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 19 at 12:30 p.m.; Sunday and Tuesday, Sept. 20 and 22 at 7:00 p.m.; and Thursday, Sept. 24 at 3:00 p.m.

Tickets are $12, or $9 for Film Festival members. For tickets and more information, please call 928-282-1177. Both the theatre and film festival office are located at 2030 W. Hwy. 89A, in West Sedona.