North American Premiere
During Australia’s apocalyptic bushfires in the Black Summer of 2019-2020, unprecedented destruction hit the countryside, destroying land, animals, and homes. While exploring the environmental causes and potential solutions, there’s a focus on the importance of the people at the heart of the matter. Many of the affected regions relied on volunteers—which comprised 90% of Australia’s firefighters—who put their lives and livelihoods on the line to save their communities. Celebrating the firefighters’ heroism and selfless courage, directors Justin Krook and Luke Mazzaferro then look at the aftermath, exploring the mental trauma and emotional toll of surviving where friends and family didn’t. Despite devastation and inner strife, there’s a hopeful recognition of camaraderie and duty between strangers as people work together to rebuild and recover from the wreckage. The film is a clarion call about the increasingly dangerous effects of climate change, and the communal spirit and bravery of those who stand together in the midst of a crisis serve as an inspiration.
Q&A Oct 3 & Oct 5
Media Partner
Australia
2021
English
Book Tickets
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Agatha's Almanac
Shot over six years on vibrant 16mm film, Agatha’s Almanac is an artful documentary portrait of filmmaker Amalie Atkin’s octogenarian aunt, who has fashioned herself an endearingly simple and self-sustaining lifestyle on her Manitoba farm.
Modern Whore
In director Nicole Bazuin's cheeky, stylized documentary, Modern Whore-memoirist Andrea Werhun (Paying for It) recounts her experiences as an escort and stripper in Toronto, debunking misconceptions about the world’s oldest profession.
The Art of Adventure
The unbelievable adventure story of how painter Robert Bateman and ecologist Bristol Foster drove a Land Rover from Africa to Australia in 1957, developing a love of nature to last a lifetime. An inspirational love letter to the adventure of life itself.
4 or 5 Things I Want You to Know About Me (An Essay)
Carl Bessai's playful Godardian riff on actors and acting gives us a portfolio of dramatic portraits and monologues focused on half a dozen female performers at different points in their journey. It's a grab-bag of a film, sparky and specific.
Credits
Executive Producer
Rob Galluzzo
Producer
Michael Hilliard, Camilla Mazzaferro, Casey Ventura
Screenwriter
Justin Krook, Luke Mazzaferro, Nick Worthington
Cinematography
Josh Flavell
Editor
Scott Walmsley
Original Music
Matteo Zingales
Directors
Justin Krook
Documentary filmmaker Justin Krook received a Grammy nomination for his first feature, the Netflix original I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (2016), which examines the life and career of DJ Steve Aoki. His subsequent feature Machine (2019) premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival.
Filmography: The Human Experiment (2004); Echoboom (2006); I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (2016); Machine (2019)
Luke Mazzaferro
Luke Mazzaferro is a writer, producer, director, and a founding partner of FINCH, an Australian independent film production company. His feature documentary Machine (2019) premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival. He has previously worked with director Patrick Hughes on a variety of projects, including the modern western Red Hill (2010).