Movies

At Sundance, a film about wildfire recovery stirs raw emotions: ‘Community is the solution’

BBG News

For those who managed to stay safe during the recent wildfires in Los Angeles and didn’t experience any personal loss or displacement, these past few weeks have been marked by a sense of detachment or emotional dullness. It can be hard to gauge how much sorrow one should feel when experiencing someone else’s grief.

Max Walker-Silverman’s ‘Rebuilding,’ offered me the emotional release I sought. Starring Josh O’Connor as Dusty, a rancher struggling to recover after his home is devastated by a wildfire, the movie reaches its climax with a poignant scene that moved me deeply – a blend of sadness and strength, which ultimately made me shed tears: “You had what you had,” one character says, “and it’s always been more than enough for me.

The movie, centered around abandoned FEMA trailers, bureaucratic hurdles, and the difficult decision between starting anew or continuing, was sparked by Walker-Silverman’s personal family catastrophe: A wildfire devastated his grandmother’s Colorado home, destroying her cherished recipes and transforming her lush land into a scorched, charred expanse. Sharing the screen with Lily LaTorre as Dusty’s daughter Callie-Rose, Meghann Fahy as his former partner Ruby, and Kali Reis portraying Mila – a woman who not only lost her home but also her husband in the blaze – “Rebuilding,” remarkably resonant, narrates a story that will likely be repeated frequently in the coming years in Southern California and other disaster-stricken areas.

Prior to the movie’s debut, Walker-Silverman and the film’s actors paid a visit to The Times’ studio during the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. This discussion has been revised and shortened.

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Hey Max, I’d like to begin by asking about your family. Given that their personal encounter with a wildfire served as the foundation for the movie, I’m curious about how they’re faring now. Could you share where you all stand in the reconstruction phase?

Max Walker-Silveman’s story revolves around a universal human sentiment – cherishing one’s home and finding comfort within it, only to confront its vulnerability and potential loss. Interestingly, even in the face of such loss, there remains a sense of home, and surprisingly, it becomes more profound. This is an experience I, as well as many others, can relate to. It’s quite unexpected. The film I produced isn’t about calamity or loss, but rather about the extraordinary events that follow, where people consistently support each other, communities unite, and friendships and neighborly bonds are forged in ways they wouldn’t have otherwise. I wrote this piece because disasters are an ongoing aspect of our lives. They neither begin nor end, and if that’s the case, I hope the communities that emerge afterwards can also become a permanent part of our lives.

To those who haven’t seen the film yet, I’d like to ask: Did any aspect of the rebuilding process depicted in the movie resonate with you, leave you astonished, or perhaps sadden you about the current situation in our nation regarding this matter for ordinary people?

Josh O’Connor: In a forceful manner, Max emphasized that disasters are occurring more frequently, impacting everyone, either directly or indirectly, with greater regularity. What particularly caught my attention was Max’s emphasis on the human aspect of our response. I believe the key lies in unity and community. Given the current global situation, such as the events unfolding in L.A. and elsewhere, it is crucial for us to examine the human toll these occurrences inflict. Our role is to consider the effects on people.

How did the discussions with Max aid in your grasp of Dusty’s initial apprehension towards rebuilding exactly as before, and his eventual realization that change and adaptability could foster more hope instead? Can you elaborate on the dialogues between you and Max that shed light on Dusty’s mindset evolution throughout the movie?

In one of our initial conversations, and something we delved into further and is depicted in the film, was the touching and enchanting scene where green returns to the scenery. Dusty’s idea of rebuilding exactly as it was seems intertwined with grief. There’s a unique charm in embracing something novel that doesn’t have to be superior or inferior, but simply different. That’s what I found captivating about the emergence of green – the landscape, regardless of Dusty’s attempts to secure a loan or rebuild his past, will never be identical again. And that can be a beautiful thing.

It’s intriguing to note that you mentioned grief, as watching the film, I felt a similar emotion when your character read the letter from your late mother. It seemed like all my feelings about the fire were suddenly released. Could you share some insights about the mood on set that day during that particular scene?

Meghann Fahy: The atmosphere on set, every day, was tranquil and filled with warmth and love. It was an intensely personal scene. We were all gathered around this table. I believe the sense of support was palpable, just by being seated at that round table with those individuals.

In a heartfelt manner, I must say, Meghann, your performance in that scene was truly exceptional – one that I won’t forget easily. It transported me back to where I was – huddled up on a small staircase at home, with my monitor, struggling to see clearly. What struck me the most was not being able to see properly, but finding myself moved to tears. And when the take ended, everyone on set was equally emotional.

Fahy: Grief can be incredibly lonely, but it’s important to remember that everyone has experienced it at some point. That scene in the movie beautifully captures this universal human experience and serves as a reminder of our shared humanity, even if we don’t always recognize it.

Kali’s character inquires about Colorado, “When will it catch fire once more?” I found it intriguing how you portrayed her apprehension towards the possibility of fires recurring and causing damage, followed by her decision to rebuild there rather than somewhere else.

In other words, you effectively conveyed her concern about potential future fires and her eventual resolve to reconstruct in Colorado instead of relocating elsewhere.

Reis explains that she believes the woman’s conflicting feelings – hating yet loving the place – signify a deep connection to the loss of not just her home but also her husband. This connection, Reis suggests, is so profound that it will always remain with her because it was the site of their loss. Despite her desire to escape the danger of another fire, this connection is what binds her to the place – a bond forged through the community built around this shared tragedy and raw human experience. In essence, Reis suggests that if she must face such hardship again, she might as well do it with the same people who stood by her in the past, since disasters like these don’t discriminate and bring everyone together.

Before we wrap up, I have a question for everyone. In the movie, Dusty remarks, ‘It’s funny, the things you pack and the things you leave.’ This got me wondering if working on this film reminded any of you about a cherished item or keepsake in your personal collection that you would now prioritize to preserve?

LaTorre mentioned: I discovered not long ago that my great-grandmother had written a book. It seems to be either about her personal experiences or the university she attended. The book is quite old and we’ve kept it at our home. Watching the movie recently made me reflect, “This must belong to my great grandmother. I wouldn’t want to let it go.” I would make every effort, likely my utmost, to preserve this antique item as a keepsake of my great grandmother’s memory.

Fahy: That’s a great one.

In the fire, my mother unfortunately misplaced her grandmother’s handwritten recipes, which she had cherished deeply. Consequently, I find myself in possession of several recipes belonging to my mother, and I believe these could be incredibly valuable keepsakes for me.

O’Connor: My grandmother’s ceramics would be like, I’d have an exit strategy.

Reis: It’s certain that I’d bring along my deceased brother’s necklace. Among the five of us, I am confident that I will be the one to keep his necklace with me.

I possess a trinket passed down by my grandma, which I’d like to preserve as it holds sentimental value for me.

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2025-01-27 03:32

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