Doylestown Natives Present Local Showing Of "Keepers Of The Way"

DOYLESTOWN, PA — "Keepers of the Way," an intimate portrait of Pennsylvania's Lenape Nation and its challenging spiritual journey to heal past wounds and keep its culture alive, returns to the County Theatre in early June after two sold-out shows in November.

Directed and produced by Doylestown natives Evan Cohen and Elijah Lee Reeder, the film is told through the eyes of the Lenape people as they retrace the infamous Walking Purchase and recount how much land was taken from beneath their feet by early American colonists.

The film, which was shot in Bucks and Lehigh counties, follows as the tribe gathers for a healing ceremony the following day.

"You're going to have a great theatrical experience coming out to see 'Keepers of the Way,'" said Reeder. "You're not just going to see the film, you will be engaging with the Lenape. You're also getting the opportunity to inform yourself of the roots of the land that you're living on and some of the traditions and some of the travesties that took place on that land and ways we can begin to heal those travesties. Overall it's going to be an enriching experience."

A scene from the movie.

Adds Cohen, "To me, the most exciting part is that from start to finish, this is a grassroots experience that is right in our backyard. It's about a group of people you might not be aware of. It's also about an event in history that took place in our backyard that many might not know about. And then it's brought full circle by connecting people to the Lenape, connecting people with this community that needs help, that needs more support, that needs more awareness."

The showing follows a successful festival circuit for the film, including private showings across the nation, including AmDocs, Cleveland International, and St. Louis International. The young filmmakers said they are excited to host the film’s second showing in a town very special to them.

Cohen, the director and editor of the project, and Reeder, who produced the film, were both born and raised in Doylestown. They met while attending Tohickon Middle School and became friends before attending Central Bucks East and Central Bucks West high schools.

Cohen studied film at the School of Visual Arts in New York before launching a successful career as a filmmaker. He now lives in upstate New York's Hudson Valley.

"This film has been a collaboration - a work in progress - between Eli and I for years now," said Cohen. "It was something conceived of six years ago and shot in 2019. We're really happy to not only be local people, but to focus on a hyper-local subject matter in the local community on a really important, topical subject."

A scene from the film.

The "spark of inspiration" for the film, said Cohen, developed out of his work with a variety of Indigenous groups where he gained respect and admiration for the culture and its people.

"I asked myself, 'How can I use my position of privilege and my standing as an artist - how can I combine these things and give back? The film was ultimately born out of that idea and that inspiration," he said.

Cohen recruited Reeder, his longtime friend, who also happens to be a talented producer and filmmaker, for the project. "We partnered from there," he said.

Reeder, the son of well-known Doylestown photographer Jeffrey Reeder, got into editing at the age of 12 working on his dad's photography software, including Adobe and Final Cut. He started taking on professional work when he was 18, attended Bucks County Community College and then started his own production company. He now lives near Jim Thorpe and works for the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau as a senior producer.

"This piece and indigenous culture in general is a cause that's close to our hearts," said Reeder. "We didn't want to make this about ourselves or make it just about the film. We wanted it to have a lasting impact and transcend the film. We wanted it to not just shed light on the culture of the Lenape people, but also on how they were disenfranchised and displaced by our ancestors, particularly during the Walking Purchase."

Reeder said while many of the Lenape were relocated to Oklahoma, Canada, and elsewhere, there were a lot that were left behind and "assimilated into our culture here and weren't allowed to practice their ceremonies without fear of getting arrested for a long time. They are still here and we want to make it known that they are still here and they deserve federal and state recognition, which they are currently not getting," said Reeder. "They are still fighting hard for it and are making progress, but the Lenape that are still here are not federally recognized."

In addition to raising awareness of the Lenape people, they are raising funds for the tribe by designating 50 percent of the proceeds from the showing to the Lenape people.

The movie will be screened on Sunday, June 9 at 12:15 p.m. at The County Theater, 20 E State Street, Doylestown. Members of the Lenape Nation and the filmmakers will join the audience for a post-film Q&A following the screening.

Tickets and passes are available by clicking here. For more information about the movie, click here.