No matter where you live in BC, the topic of local wildfires is bound to be on your radar as we move closer to summer. With that in mind, this month the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) Centre is showing the fiery new NFB documentary Incandescence, by local filmmakers Nova Ami and Velcrow Ripper. Brace yourself for a screening.

Filmed in the Okanagan region, Incandescence is all about fires, firefighting, their aftermath, and the people and animals who have experienced them first-hand. Utilizing a combination of immersive, aerial and panoramic shots, as well as cellphone videos, and working closely (and carefully) with the community and rescue/disaster services, the Ami and Ripper have created a cinematic, poetic and terrifyingly beautiful nature film, as well as an emotional and contemplative, very “human” one, while also intentionally shifting the focus away from typical anthropocentric biases. From VIFF: “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… 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.”

Get “fired up” for the film by watching the Incandescence trailer, and reading our short Q&A with co-director, Velcrow Ripper, below:

What is your personal connection to wildfires, that inspired you to make it the focus of this film?

Our connection to wildfire really began with our previous [2018] feature documentary, Metamorphosis, which is about transformation in a time of climate change. We filmed with a family that lost their home during the California wildfires. Metamorphosis was shot in countries around the world. For Incandescence, we decided to create a place-based film. As the climate crisis has intensified, it is no longer necessary to travel anywhere else to find stories of the climate emergency. We chose the Okanagan because it is one of the most fire-prone areas of Canada, and it also has a history of Indigenous firekeepers that’s thousands of years old.

When did the process of making Incandescence begin?

We started developing this film with the National Film Board of Canada back in early 2019.

How much, and what sort of, preparation was involved in the making of this film?

It takes a lot of preparation to make a film like this! One element was getting BC Wildfire Service on board, along with the Indigenous-led firefighting organization featured in the film, Rider Ventures. Together, they helped orient us and keep us safe.

Obviously, in order to capture many of the wildfire shots where you’re actually in the thick of it, you must have had to act (and react) quickly. How much of the filmmaking came together in real time, on the fly?

We were always on call during two wildfire seasons, ready to be in the field rapidly. Our cinematographer was Vince Arvidson, and he did an amazing job of capturing cinematic, powerful images even when the pressure was intense. We had to have permission from the Incident Commanders for a given fire, and they were quite cautious. Their first priority was keeping everyone safe, and we always had tremendous respect for the state of emergency we were surrounded by.

In addition to shooting footage ourselves, we gathered direct personal footage from people who were on the ground during the fires. BC Wildfire also supported our film with two camera people who are experienced wildland firefighters. Because of their training, they were able to capture images in situations that wouldn’t have been possible for our crew, getting right up close to some major fires. We also collaborated with local residents who were experienced videographers and captured some stunning footage, such as David Newcomb, a former news cameraperson who was right there filming in the early days of the White Rock Lake fire.

What was the biggest creative challenge to you, as filmmakers?

We made the decision to not use what are called “talking heads”—on-camera interviews with subjects. Instead, we recorded our interviews with audio only and showed our subjects in action, creating a more cinematic, immersive experience than conventional documentary techniques would allow. We also made the decision not to have a music score, relying instead on sound design to really immerse the viewer in the world of fire.

So Incandescence is driven by sound and sound design, with little or no use of music, and especially not a traditional film score. We used this approach to heighten our sense of place and character, to get inside the POV of the different characters in their environments through the sounds they generate. We play with the wide spectrum of sounds generated by fire, as well as natural sounds.

Sound is used to help create the point-of-view experience of being in the body of a given creature. Breaths, footsteps, body movements, wing sounds, heartbeats, the intimate sounds of each body. A much lengthier than usual sound-design process allowed for the intricate expressions needed for this film. These two decisions were made at the scripting stage. So we created a documentary without the usual security blankets of music and talking heads.

What has making this film taught you about filmmaking in general, that you will apply to future projects?

The biggest thing that evolved for us was this sense of collaboration with the people featured in the film. It was especially gratifying to go on tour with Incandescence for its first theatrical launch, throughout the Okanagan, and watch it with all the people in the film. Rider Ventures calls us their “film family”, and was deeply involved in the making of this film.

How has making Incandescence affected / changed you on a personal level?

Practically, we are very much aware of the increasing danger of wildfire and the steps needed to help protect our communities and homes. We made a point of getting FireSmart to come and assess our own home and have begun taking steps to make our surroundings more fire resistant.

Of all of the people you encountered making this film, who was the most inspiring, or made the biggest impression on you, and why? If there is just one thing that they taught you (intentionally or not) that you can pass along to / impress on readers, what is it?

It’s hard to choose from all the people in the film, but let’s go with Dora Alexis, the Indigenous firekeeper, who keeps her traditional practice of cultural burning alive. By doing low-intensity burns, she managed to protect her home from the massive White Rock Lake fire that swept through her community. Her big message is that we need to work with fire, we need to have great respect for fire.

For those of us who don’t live in areas of the world directly affected by wildfire, who might feel helpless or hopeless about the situation, why should we see Incandescence?

Because wildfires happen globally, we are all impacted by them; if not directly by the flames, then by the smoke. As we experience more and more climate events such as megafires, we can direct our attention to how to preserve and protect our communities and prevent future events from happening. We can look at building our communities as a path to sustainability. Supporting each other, knowing each other, sharing ideas. In the immediate aftermath, being able to provide mental health support for those directly impacted and housing and living support for those who are displaced. And moving into the future, working together with Indigenous practices with the land, re-building and constructing with fire-resistant and sustainable materials, fuel mitigation and moving away from using fossil fuels. Crisis can bring out the best in us, as we learn to work together for our own survival.

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