FIRE TOWER
Directed by Tova Krentzman | 47 min | Canada
Part of the PERSPECTIVE ALBERTA Screening Series running May 13-15 | Metro Cinema
Filmmakers in attendance!
Perched in the Rocky Mountains above empty expanses across northern Canada, fire tower "lookouts” all experience the rush of spotting smoke and pre-empting evacuations. They all take pride in protecting the land and its people. They have all been struck by lightning.
Lookouts have been the dedicated "eyes in the sky," a critical first-line defense for over a century. But today, despite an unprecedented number of wildfires, only four Canadian provinces continue to employ human radar. How can humans compete with technology? Because the best way to stop a fire is to spot it early – and lookouts are still critical anchors in our fire safety networks. In Fire Tower, meet the people behind the binoculars.
Preceded by the short films:
MYRNA KOSTASH: HERE
Directed by Kalyna Somchynsky | 21 min | Canada
Myrna Kostash boasts a remarkable writing career firmly rooted in Edmonton, even when her research has taken her overseas to Greece, the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Ukraine, and beyond. This short film celebrates Myrna's extensive career and dedication to exploring the complex relationships that shape our identities and the places we call home.
WAY OF THE SHEPHERD
Directed by Matthew Boyd | 9 min | USA
Peruvian shepherd, Christian Aliaga works the hillsides of northern California with a massive herd of goats and two exceptional Border Collies. Together they roam the land conducting wildfire mitigation with their old-world, natural approach to vegetation management.