A vivid, intimate portrait of creation, aging, and self-discovery in Brooklyn’s industrial Gowanus neighborhood, THE POTTER is the story of 84-year-old Rene Murray as she kickstarts a new phase of her life after her husband’s death. Juggling loss, the ecstasy of creation, and the struggles of octogenarianism, Murray navigates the changing landscape of her beloved neighborhood; the maintenance of her century-old brick studio; family illness; her complex relationship with her only daughter; and a devastating five-alarm inferno that threatens years’ worth of work – all while forging ahead with a series of fortress-like sculptures, her wit and candor on full display.
THE POTTER is also a record of a way of life in New York City that is rapidly dying out, as construction in Gowanus favors new high-rise housing over renovation and repurposing of its aging historical landmarks. Murray’s studio – bought 54 years ago, well before Brooklyn’s real estate boom – is one of these buildings, a relic nestled anonymously between featureless modern structures. Within its walls is a lifetime of creative work, and a powerful life story.
