Some Real Heat

In this “heated” documentary, six female firefighters describe, among many other things, just what it was that drew them to firefighting: “I like having an axe,” says one. “I'm a chainsaw lover,” says another. “Fire is its own beast,” says a third. Indeed. Shot in San Francisco, which boasts the highest percentage (19%) of female firefighters in the world, Some Real Heat offers a good overview of this highly dangerous and increasingly respected (yet puzzlingly under-funded) profession. Filmmaker Stefanie Jordan takes the viewer on the road with female firefighters and paramedics from different firehouses in the city as they discuss their work and the many obstacles--stemming from blatant prejudice within and outside the profession--they've encountered in this singularly male-dominated career. Each of the women candidly relates how she came to the profession, and the ways in which it defines her image of herself--among women, other firefighters, and the community at large. Jordan takes her time, astutely mingling on-the-job footage with off-work recreation and casual home interviews, for a well-rounded look offers insights into some of the subtler examples of gender stereotyping, while also illustrating the dangers involved in firefighting, including coping with the tragedy and death that are an integral aspect of the interviewees' work. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (A. Cantú)