Louisiana Public Broadcasting has produced a 30 minute, High Definition documentary, Atchafalaya Houseboat, based on the LSU Press book published as Atchafalaya Houseboat: My Years in the Louisiana Swamp. The critically acclaimed story shares the experiences of Gwen Roland and her companion Calvin Voisin, who left civilization in the turmoil of the early 1970s to return to the simple, quiet lifestyle of their great-grandparents in the vast, unspoiled beauty of the nation’s largest river swamp, Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin. Without power tools or construction experience, the pair designed and built a floating home, on which they lived a rich life in a remote sleepy bayou, for nearly a decade. For the documentary, Gwen Roland eloquently recounts the time they spent catching and growing their own food, sewing clothes, trading, telling stories of a time gone-by and growing up together.

Along their journey, they befriended a young photographer named C.C. Lockwood, who shared their love of the basin’s endangered beauty. Lockwood’s stunning photographs of the Atchafalaya, featuring Gwen and Calvin going about their daily routine, were published in National Geographic magazine in 1974, bringing unexpected fame to the pair and attention to the imperiled Basin. Nearly 30 years later, after the pair had long since parted, one of Lockwood’s photographs was featured in a National Geographic collector’s edition, entitled the 100 Best Pictures Unpublished, renewing interest in their unique experiences.

This engaging LPB documentary takes viewers on a tour of one of America’s most remote natural treasures to experience the Atchafalaya Basin’s breathtaking beauty. The program prominently features the photographs of now, world-renown photographer, C.C. Lockwood, and the graceful storytelling of the talented writer and National Public Radio contributor Gwen Roland to bring this charming story to life for a new generation.

This program is produced by national award-winning independent producer Christina Melton. Melton has been recognized with several of the television documentary world’s top awards, including the coveted Emmy Award, the Alfred I. Dupont-Columbia Award for Excellence in Journalism, the Edward R. Murrow Award, the International CINE Golden Eagle, The New York International Independent Film and Video Festival Award for Best Historical Documentary and three Telly Awards. Her last three projects, all produced for Louisiana Public Broadcasting, have broadcast nationally on PBS.