“Fighting fire is just long hours of hard, boring work punctuated by moments of sheer terror."
Filmed during two recent wildfire seasons, Wildland is a sweeping yet deeply personal account of a firefighting crew as they struggle with fear, loyalty, dreams, and demons. This is the story of ordinary people with nothing left to lose — as they trudge through an unforgiving test of mind, body and spirit.
The filmmakers themselves went through firefighting training with those featured in the film, in Grants Pass, Oregon, a sleepy mountain town. Each member of this motley crew has come to this dangerous and unglamorous work for personal reasons — for some, it’s a need to test themselves, a desire for adventure and purpose; for others, it may be the job of last resort after time in prison or a lifetime of addiction. It is the ultimate demonstration that the most extraordinary will can be found in ordinary people. -JR