A filmmaker spent nearly half a century checking in on the same five people, and the final chapter is about to hit screens.

Robb Moss’ THE BEND IN THE RIVER opens August 14 at Film Forum in New York, wrapping up a trilogy that started in 1978. Moss first filmed Barry, Danny, Cathy, Jeff, and Jim during a clothing-optional rafting trip through the Grand Canyon. That became Riverdogs in 1982. He caught up with them again in 2003 for THE SAME RIVER TWICE as they wrestled with middle age. Now they’re in their 70s, and Moss weaves new footage with images of their younger selves.

The 82-minute film is executive produced by Joel Coen and Frances McDormand. It premiered at Telluride last year.

Film Forum is programming the earlier installments around the premiere. Free screenings of Riverdogs happen August 12, with Moss introducing both. He’ll do a Q&A after THE SAME RIVER TWICE on August 13, then appear for discussions following THE BEND IN THE RIVER on August 14 and 15.

Critics are calling it poignant and deeply personal. Documentary Magazine said the trilogy is “as intimate and thoughtful an evocation of the process of aging as can be found in modern cinema.”

For indie filmmakers playing the long game, this is what patience and commitment look like.