The Last Bateau
A Meditative Documentary Short Film
Almost a half century after her great-grandfather’s voice was captured on cassette tapes, a woman returns to Caddo Lake to restore the last boat he built and the legacy he left behind.
Synopsis
In the quiet deep woods of East Texas, a woman uncovers a wooden boat built by her great-grandfather and a box of cassette tapes where his voice still lingers. Nearly fifty years after they were recorded, she returns to Caddo Lake to restore the last bateau he built. In doing so, she reconnects with the craft, memory, and lineage that shaped them both. The Last Bateau is a lyrical short documentary about inheritance, oral history, and the power of return.
Credits
CREW:
Producer: Brittani Mathis
Director: Kenny Rigsby
Edited by: Kenny Rigsby + Grayson Lackey
Director of Photography: Grayson Lackey
Original Music: Tim Frost
Archival Audio: Wyatt A Moore (cassette recordings 1970s-1980s)
BATEAU RESTORATION TEAM:
Jim Link
Brittani Mathis
Steve Stembridge
Sara Stembridge
Matthias
Cindy Martyn
Tim Frost
MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE TIME,
TALENT, & GENEROSITY OF:
Mark and Nona Morgan
Tony Mathis
The Link Family
DeAnda Frost
TriCo Lumber
Caddo Lake Institute
Johnson’s Ranch Mariana
Splatterdock Guest Houses
Morgan Brothers Land Company
Antioch Baptist Church, Leigh Texas
FILMED ON LOCATION:
Caddo Lake and the surrounding areas in East Texas
Director’s Statement
We didn’t set out to make a film. We set out to listen.
When producer Brittani Mathis returned to East Texas after a season of deep personal loss, she discovered a box of cassette tapes recorded by her greatgrandfather, Wyatt Moore, in the 1970's and early 1980's. An infamous moonshiner, boat builder, and storyteller of Caddo Lake, Wyatt’s voice carried regional lore, family history, and the haunting sounds of a connection once thought lost.
I was drawn to the emotional weight of that discovery. Brittani had also tracked down the last bateau Wyatt ever built, a handmade wooden boat long forgotten. Together, with a small team, we restored it and returned it to the water, guided by a desire to preserve something both physical and intangible.
As a director, my goal was to evoke more than explain. The film blends oral history, folk art, and personal grief into something that moves more like memory than narrative. We leaned into texture and atmosphere, letting sound and stillness speak for themselves.
The Last Bateau is a meditation on legacy, craft, and return. It is an attempt to honor what we choose to carry forward.
