Let it Burn!

Let it Burn!

By contributor Erica Adams
Photo credit: Courtesy of BURN

November of 2008 was much more than Thanksgiving in Detroit. It was the end of an era and the start of a new beginning. It marked the end of a life but the birth of a story that would sweep the nation.

A spark turns into a flame, a flame to a fire, a fire to rubble and rubble to ash, unless someone can stop it before it’s too late. But who would be willing to run towards a burning building? Who would choose to save a house over their own life? In November of 2008 it was Walter Harris.

The death of Walter Harris Sparked much controversy among the civilians of Detroit. Many locals found difficulty understanding how an abandoned home could come before a life. Can’t they just let it burn? The firefighters however, do it with pride and understanding and without question.”

These two opposing points of view are among the many themes in Tom Putnam and Brenna Sanchez’ film, BURN, opening on December 7th at AMC Georgetown.

BURN is an adrenaline-fueled feature documentary about heroes.  It’s about exceptional men and women who, on every shift, risk their lives, face injury, disablement, illness and death.  They do this with unsatisfactory compensation, with dysfunctional equipment, and under life-threatening conditions.  But still they come back, day after day, resolved they can make a difference. And they do it with camaraderie and a remarkable sense of humor.

Closer than you’ve ever been, BURN takes you into the fires and into the lives of the men who fight them, exploring human struggles, hope and personal courage in the face of overwhelming odds.

Tom Putnam and Brenna Sanchez told Hollywood on the Potomac about their experience filming the documentary and how they were impacted. 

“When you watch the guys go in you never know what’s going to happen. It’s a combination of anticipation, fear, adrenaline and panic. Plus hopefully some professionalism so we could get the shots. After filming for months we became friends with many of the firefighters and it was sometimes very hard to see them put themselves headlong into such dangerous situations.”

“We hope audiences will get a new understanding of what it means to be a firefighter, and the knowledge that these guys aren’t invincible. They’re people just like us — they can get hurt or killed on the job. And as voters it’s our business to make sure they’re taken care of, and that they have the training and gear they need to rescue, save, protect us.

This isn’t about the Detroit fire department, it’s about the people you want to come to your house when there’s a fire.”

A day in the life of……..

The trailer:

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