Artist Sasha Waters has captured a new way of seeing the esteemed queer poet Mary Oliver and her wonderful world of nature and love in her new documentary, Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World.

The documentary opens with American TV host Stephen Colbert choking up while trying to get through Mary Oliver’s famous poem, The Summer Day. Eventually, Colbert makes it through the final line, reciting: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do / with your one wild and precious life?”

Celebrated for her openness, the movie follows Oliver through her life from her difficult and lonely childhood up until her death in 2019. Waters takes the audience along on Oliver’s journey to find and understand herself.

Much of the queer poet’s work focused on her time wandering Cape Cod, inspiring the words that made her a Pulitzer Prize winner, National Book Award winner and best-selling author.

The film explores Oliver’s point of view, emphasising the beauty and peace that nature brought to the award-winning poet. Her work is highlighted through readings by great fans of hers, including Oprah Winfrey, Lucy Dacus, Steve Buscemi and more. 

Friends and loved ones of Oliver also contributed readings of their favourite of her works, including the famous director of Hair Spray, John Waters. Over his life, Waters became close with Oliver and her partner, Molly Malone Cook. 

Director Sasha Waters weaved in never-before-seen photos and letters, and scenes shot in Provincetown where Oliver and Cook resided for many years, allowing us a deeper look into the life of the extremely private poet. 

Waters is a celebrated director known for her ecstatic realism and documentary style. The film made its premiere in Columbia, Missouri, at the 2026 True/False Film Festival and is now available to watch on Apple TV.

Watch the trailer below.