Incandescence

Filmed across the Okanagan before, during and after several devastating fires by veteran non-fiction filmmakers Nova Ami and Velcrow Ripper (Metamorphosis; ScaredSacred), Incandescence is a mesmerizing cinematic contemplation of the power of wildfires, and also a philosophical rumination on loss and regeneration.

Avoiding talking heads, the film marries stunning nature imagery with a chorus of disparate voices, including fire fighters, evacuees, burned out farmers and home-owners. While much of the film is chastening, there’s hope here too, in the relatively recent acknowledgment that Indigenous practices of controlled burns are a smarter strategy than full-on fire suppression. Extraordinary footage relays the survival instincts of animals caught up in the inferno, too, including that beloved Canadian mascot, the beaver. In BC we know very well the dangers that wildfires pose. In ways both practical and more mysterious, Incandescence holds out a sliver of solace.

As visually striking as it is thought-provoking, offering a compelling blend of education, storytelling, and immersive filmmaking.

Chris Jones, Overly Honest Reviews