COMMUNITY

Catch a new wildfire documentary at Salem Cinema starting Friday

On Friday night, the Salem Cinema will host a premiere fit for film lovers and environmentalists alike with the debut of “Elemental,” a documentary focused on the relationship of humans and wildfires along the West Coast. 

Created by Portland filmmaker Trip Jennings and produced by Ralph Bloemers, Elemental includes commentary from top ​​wildfire experts across the country, and an initial screening at Salem Cinema will be followed by a Q&A session with Jennings and Bloemers. 

“It follows the harrowing escape from Paradise, California as the town ignited from wind-driven embers and burned within a few hours of the fire’s start. It then continues to the even more recent fires just 2 years ago, when Oregon suffered our worst wildfires in recorded history,” according to a press release.

The movie includes the voices of climate experts, Indigenous people and fire survivors, and looks forward to a future where wildfires could be an increasingly prevalent problem. 

“I am deeply committed to changing the national conversation around wildfire,” Jennings said in a statement.

Through a timelapse and wildlife photography, the filmmakers wanted to show that landscapes and the wildlife in them thrive with fire. 

“Young charcoal forests are full of life, and nature rapidly paints them green. I spent countless hours carrying heavy packs of gear, deploying cameras to capture the time lapse and wildlife photography in the film,” Bloemers said in a statement.“Then in 2020, wildfire became even more personal for me. A number of my friends lost everything in the powerline ignited fires. 

“My goal is to help make our communities safe from fire and to ensure that we have a better understanding of the choices in front of us – both personally and at all levels of government spending – as we try to meet the challenge,” Bloemers said. 
People interested in attending the screening can purchase general admission tickets online at salemcinema.com for $11. It begins at 7 p.m. at Salem Cinema, 1127 Broadway St. N.E. and will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. Afternoon and evening showings of the film continue through next week, with a schedule available on the theater’s website.

Contact reporter Jordyn Brown at [email protected].

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Jordyn Brown is an Oregon journalist who formerly worked for the Eugene Register-Guard.