Land of Fire

In remote British Columbia, wildfires have become part of everyday life. The communities the film follows carry deep losses, visible in the burned forests and in the roadside posters of missing loved ones, many of them young women. Yet life here is shaped as much by resilience and solidarity as it is by grief. Nikola Klinger has made a film about people facing complex challenges who nonetheless believe in a better future. By weaving together the interconnected lives of the locals, the film creates a layered portrait of the landscape and the people’s bond with the wilderness, its magic and its myths. Residents live in the shadow of unsolved deaths and the disappearances of young people, finding an escape from their troubles in community solidarity and modern-day rituals, such as the demolition derby at the local wreck yard. “There is something alive out there in the bush; you can feel it, but you can’t see it.”