Inspired by his favorite novel, The Lord of the Rings, Peter Christian moved to Alaska and became a ranger with the National Park Service in 1994. He has been patrolling and protecting the vast, northern wilderness for thirty years now and has witnessed dramatic changes in that time. As he approaches retirement, he must face the reality that the wilderness and wildlife he swore to protect are suffering from a rapidly warming climate. Embarking on a deeply personal journey into the far north of Alaska, Peter looks back to the novel that inspired him and searches for hope as the world he knows melts away.

Impact: J.R.R. Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings and its film adaptations by Peter Jackson have become cultural touchstones, attracting and bringing together millions of fans from diverse backgrounds. More than an entertaining fantasy, The Lord of the Rings depicts a complex moral universe in which good and evil often manifest as conflicting attitudes and behaviors toward the natural world. Peter Christian is one of countless readers who have been inspired by Tolkien’s love of nature, and Peter’s story as a ranger with the National Park Service is inspiring in its own right. In “Ranger of the North,” viewers see the Alaskan wilderness through Peter’s eyes and, with him, search for hope in the midst of environmental collapse. Like The Lord of the Rings before it, “Ranger of the North” will awaken viewers to the beauty and fragility of nature and offer a fresh perspective on finding hope in troubled times.

Land Acknowledgement: “Ranger of the North” was filmed on the traditional homelands of Dene and Iñupiat peoples, who have stewarded these lands for thousands of years, and whose history and traditions the filmmakers wish to honor.

Director Biography

Bradley Bethel is a high school English teacher and filmmaker originally from Toledo, Ohio, but now living in central North Carolina. He has produced multiple films, including the documentary shorts "Radioactive Veteran" (2016), "Robeson Rises" (2018), and "The Maestro" (2018), all of which screened at film festivals across the country. From 2019 to 2023, Bradley was the director of Carrboro Film Fest, and he continues to serve on the festival’s advisory committee. Combining his passions for literature and documentary film, he has become especially interested in documenting the ways literature can have a profound impact on people’s lives. Bradley is the director of "Ranger of the North," a documentary short about a retiring park ranger whose career and worldview have been inspired by the novel The Lord of the Rings.