FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

PBS NORTH CAROLINA PRESENTS ‘A LIFE REIMAGINED: THE GEORGE MASA STORY’ ON PBS STATIONS NATIONWIDE THIS MAY

This new documentary explores the life of the Japanese photographer who shaped the Appalachian Trail and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 

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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, 4/2/2026 — PBS North Carolina announces the national release of A Life Reimagined: The George Masa Story. The documentary tells the inspiring and mysterious story of Japanese photographer George Masa, his passion for the Appalachian Mountains and his role in founding Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It will premiere nationally on PBS stations through American Public Television (APT) beginning May 1 in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. 

A Life Reimagined will premiere Tuesday, May 12, 9 PM, on PBS NC. It will also be available to stream online and on the free PBS app. On Wednesday, April 29, PBS North Carolina will host a free community screening of the film at Asheville’s Fine Arts Theatre. For more info, visit fineartstheatre.com/special events. 

“George Masa made North Carolina his home and contributed immensely to our state. The same can be said of Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Paul Bonesteel,” says Rachel Raney, Director of National Productions at PBS North Carolina. “Paul is a talented and passionate storyteller, and we’re proud to partner with him in bringing A Life Reimagined to audiences across North Carolina and the country.” 

A Life Reimagined examines the life and legacy of groundbreaking photographer George Masa (1885–1933), a Japanese immigrant whose images helped shape early conservation efforts and the national parks movement in the United States. Drawing on newly uncovered research, it reveals long-hidden dimensions of Masa’s life that challenge what was previously understood about one of the most influential yet elusive figures in American conservation history. A Life Reimagined is a project that evolved out of Bonesteel’s 2003 film The Mystery of George Masa, where he first explored the photographer’s story. 

George Masa arrived in the Appalachian Mountains in 1915 and created some of the earliest widely seen photographs of the Great Smoky Mountains. His images played a crucial role in shaping public appreciation for the American wilderness and influenced trail development, conservation advocacy and the creation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park as well as the Appalachian Trail. Despite the enduring impact of his work, Masa’s personal history remained incomplete and largely unknown for nearly a century. 

Through newly discovered letters and more than two decades of original research conducted in Japan and the United States, A Life Reimagined uncovers a complicated and surprising story. The film traces Masa’s journey from a difficult early life in Japan to formative and turbulent years in the Pacific Northwest. New evidence reveals his involvement in mountaineering and baseball before his reinvention in Asheville, North Carolina, and the Southern Appalachian Mountains. 

As Masa became a well-known and respected figure locally, he faced federal scrutiny due to his Japanese background and racial hostilities, including the raiding of his Asheville photography studio by the Ku Klux Klan. These discoveries illuminate a life shaped by ambition and courage, adding depth and urgency to a figure long viewed primarily through his photographs. 

In the film, director Paul Bonesteel works alongside researchers, archivists and historians, pairing sweeping contemporary footage with Masa’s own images. Blending traditional interviews, personal narrative, archival material and modern visual techniques, including animated sequences, A Life Reimagined places the act of discovery itself at the center of the story, inviting viewers to follow the questions, contradictions and revelations as they unfold. 

“George Masa’s life was mysterious and complex,” said Bonesteel. “As new research came to light, it became clear that his story was far richer and more layered than we initially thought. This film is about discovery—about staying curious, following the evidence and allowing a life from the past to speak more fully into the present.” 

Ultimately, A Life Reimagined explores how one immigrant’s passion for and documentation of the American wilderness helped others recognize landscapes worth protecting. It also reveals how revisiting the past with care and openness can fundamentally change what we think we know. 

A Life Reimagined: The George Masa Story is produced by Bonesteel Films in association with PBS North Carolina. Funding for the film was provided in part by Explore Asheville, Foundation For The Carolinas, North Carolina Humanities, Pickering Family Trust, Community Foundation of Henderson County, Perry Rudnick Fund, Omni Grove Park Inn, Smokies Life, Friends of the Smokies, Carlyle Adams Foundation and others. For a complete list, visit georgemasa.com/contributors. 

About Bonesteel Films 

Bonesteel Films is a filmmaking company located in Asheville, North Carolina, owned by Paul Bonesteel. The company specializes in documentary films and engaging content. Learn more at bonesteelfilms.com. 

About APT 

American Public Television (APT) is the leading syndicator of high-quality, top-rated programming to the nation’s public television stations. Founded in 1961, APT distributes 250 new program titles per year and nearly one-half of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles in the U.S. APT’s diverse catalog includes prominent documentaries, performance, dramas, how-to programs, classic movies, children’s series and news and current affairs programs. America’s Test Kitchen, The Best of the Joy of Paintingwith Bob Ross, The Chavis Chronicles,Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television, Doc Martin, Hope Street, Lidia’s Kitchen, Midsomer Murders, Miriam and Alan Lost in Scotland, Pati’s Mexican Table, Rick Steves’ Europe, Samantha Brown’s Places to Love, Table for All with Buki Elegbede, Willie Nelson's 90th Birthday Celebration and NHK Newsline are a sampling of APT’s programs, considered some of the most popular on public television. APT also licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service and distributes Create®TV—featuring the best of public television’s lifestyle programming—and WORLD™, public television’s premier news, science and documentary channel. Learn more at APTonline.org. 

About PBS North Carolina 

As North Carolina’s statewide PBS network serving the country’s third largest public media market, PBS North Carolina educates, informs, entertains and inspires its audience on air, online and in person. Through its unique partnership of public investment and private support, the network includes in-person engagement, digital-first social and online content delivery and four over-the-air channels: PBS NC, the North Carolina Channel, Rootle 24/7 PBS KIDS channel and the Explorer Channel. Its transformational events and content spark curiosity and wonder for all North Carolinians. Additionally, PBS North Carolina serves as the backbone for North Carolina’s state emergency services. To learn more about PBS North Carolina, visit pbsnc.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. 

-PBS NC- 

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