Wildland

The worsening of wildfire seasons in the U.S. and the almost unimaginable destruction wrought by massive fires in recent years are at the center of the powerful documentary Wildland, although the focal point here is not so much on the rampaging flames and superheat from fires melting entire towns, but rather on the people who test their resilience and courage in fighting wildfires. Far from being career professional firefighters, the profiled subjects have checkered pasts, including prison time and drug addiction. Looking for a second chance, they join a program to learn the difficult fundamentals of containing a wildfire over time, while not dying in the process. Filmmakers Alex Jablonski and Kahlil Hudson, who reportedly had to undergo the same training (off camera) in order to shoot their film in dangerous circumstances, present the stories of some of these men—the paths they took and mistakes they made. The trainees undergo dirty, exhausting, humbling work, while footage of their confrontation with an actual blaze is startling (and reveals what that looks like from the inside). Highly recommended. Aud: C, P (T. Keogh)