Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire

Released Apr 7, 2023

1h 24m

Documentary

List

Reviews

96%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

Filmed across the West and narrated by Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated actor David Oyelowo, ELEMENTAL: REIMAGINE WILDFIRE takes viewers on a journey with the top experts in the nation to better understand fire. The film follows the harrowing escape from Paradise, California, as the town ignited from wind-driven embers and burned within a few hours of the fire's start. It then continues to the even more recent fires of the last two years, when Oregon, California and Colorado suffered their worst wildfires in recorded history. ELEMENTAL: REIMAGINE WILDFIRE includes the voices of climate experts, Indigenous people and fire survivors, and asks us to reimagine our relationship with wildfire as we prepare for an increasingly hotter future. Former United States Forest Service Chief Michael Dombeck says of the documentary: ELEMENTAL is an outstanding film that deserves the widest possible viewing. In a visually stunning manner, it distills what we've learned about wildland fire over the decades and provides a road-map for badly needed changes that will benefit thousands of people, particularly in fire prone communities.

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Norman Gidney

HorrorBuzz

A full-throttle edu-doc that presents facts, problems, and solutions along with lightly capturing the pathos of avoidable tragedy.

Rated: 6/10

Aug 20, 2023

Full Review

Jonita Davis

The Black Cape (Medium)

The documentary, Elemental: Reimaging Wildfire is all about a deep dive into these natural disasters. Once you emerge from the experience you won’t be the same.

Jul 10, 2023

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Bobby LePire

Film Threat

Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire is an informative and heartbreaking watch about an issue that seems hopeless.

Rated: 10/10

Jun 9, 2023

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Jennie Kermode

Eye for Film

The film explores the logging and thinning techniques which have been used in the past to try to create fire breaks – areas which the flames cannot cross – but these are not as effective as you might think.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jun 9, 2023

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Michael G

Not deep at all and very one sided. kinda makes me wonder who financed the film Insurance industry!?!🤷‍♂️

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/08/23

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Joe S

This is an excellent documentary that anyone concerned about the threat from wildfire should watch. As the editor of Forest News, I frequently write about wildfire, and my articles have cited research from several of the experts interviewed in the film. They are all legit. Elemental raises the question, “Is there anything that can be done to keep communities safe from future fires?” Jack Cohen answers yes: “We have opportunities to prevent the big community fire disasters.... Paradise didn’t have to happen.” The town of Paradise was surrounded by clear-cut and thinned forest. According to the accepted Forest Service narrative, the town should have been safe, yet the town burned and 86 people died. Cohen worked for decades as a research scientist at the Forest Service Missoula Fire Sciences Research Lab, and his research shows how people can protect themselves and their homes from catastrophic wildfire. Firefighters, ecologists and Tribal leaders featured in the film speak from multiple backgrounds and perspectives. They all point to the same conclusion: we can't stop catastrophic wildfires, but we can protect ourselves, our neighbors and our communities from devastating wildfire.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/13/23

Full Review

Molly S

This is a beautifully done doc on the big issue of wildfires and forest management. It's emotional and engrossing, visually rich and dense. I can only hope that informative films like this can effect real change in how America chooses to manage and care for its natural resources and its people. Kudos to Trip Jennings and the film crew.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/03/23

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Ralph B

Stunning, thought-provoking and informative. Incredible time lapse and wildlife photography. Now I know what I need to do to prepare for fire and keep my home and community safe.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/18/23

Full Review

Sarah S

Excellent film explaining why we have so many more wildfires now and what we can do to keep people and their property safe. Great footage and great interviews with people who lived through the Paradise Fire, fire fighters, insurance experts, scientists, and indigenous people who understand how to live with fire. A must see film for those who live in fire-prone areas or are curious to know what can be done to prevent the billions of dollars worth of damage that wildfires can cause .

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/17/23

Full Review

Rachel A

I had the opportunity to watch a screening of this film at the non-profit I worked at and it left me speechless. I have not been able to stop thinking about it ever since. Not only does it show the very real dangers of wildfire and the havoc it wreaks on communities, wildlife, and the environment, but it will leave you feeling like there's a light at the end of the tunnel too. This film gave me a little glimmer of hope in this dire climate crisis!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/23/23

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Trip Jennings

Director

David Oyelowo

Narrator

Trip Jennings

Writer

Ralph Bloemers

Executive Producer

Trip Jennings

Film Editing

Sara Quinn

Film Editing

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Synopsis

Filmed across the West and narrated by Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated actor David Oyelowo, ELEMENTAL: REIMAGINE WILDFIRE takes viewers on a journey with the top experts in the nation to better understand fire. The film follows the harrowing escape from Paradise, California, as the town ignited from wind-driven embers and burned within a few hours of the fire's start. It then continues to the even more recent fires of the last two years, when Oregon, California and Colorado suffered their worst wildfires in recorded history. ELEMENTAL: REIMAGINE WILDFIRE includes the voices of climate experts, Indigenous people and fire survivors, and asks us to reimagine our relationship with wildfire as we prepare for an increasingly hotter future. Former United States Forest Service Chief Michael Dombeck says of the documentary: ELEMENTAL is an outstanding film that deserves the widest possible viewing. In a visually stunning manner, it distills what we've learned about wildland fire over the decades and provides a road-map for badly needed changes that will benefit thousands of people, particularly in fire prone communities.

Director: Trip Jennings
Producer: Ralph Bloemers
Screenwriter: Trip Jennings
Distributor: Adventure Entertainment
Production Co: Balance Media
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 7, 2023, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 13, 2023
Runtime: 1h 24m

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