by Grace Sandel
Current environmental concerns such as the climate crisis and environmental justice have complex implications. As a result, they are often difficult to grasp. One way environmental issues can become more accessible is through film. Films centered on specific aspects of a broader environmental issue can boost public awareness and prompt civic action and hopefully, social change.
The San Francisco Green Film Festival showcases a selection of environmentally-centered films each year. This year’s festival boasted a diverse collection of films, with focuses ranging from water technology in Nevada to sustainability in the chocolate industry. Despite the variety in subject matter, all of the films reflected the festival’s 2019 theme: home. Whether the filmmakers focused on one house, a whole city, or even the entire planet, each film encapsulated the festival’s central question: “What does home mean to you, and how can we work together to protect it?” Filmmaker and Bay Area resident Derek Knowles and Spencer Seibert explore how the concept of “home” can change overnight, with vulnerable populations being disproportionately affected.
Their documentary “After the Fire” shows the devastating aftermath of the 2017 Tubbs Fire. The fire ripped through three different counties for almost an entire month, which dramatically altered Sonoma County, destroyed physical infrastructure, and changed residents’ perception of Sonoma as home. The Tubbs Fire became the most destructive fire in state history at the time. In California, wildfires become quantified by the media as the number of structures burned and lives lost. “It just changes how you, as a viewer, process information,” said Knowles. “For me, I relate to human experience.”
Knowles and Seibert tie the human experience into the discussion of wildfires by providing a glimpse into the lives of Sonoma residents Gilham, Chris, and Maribel (last names were not provided in the film). Knowles found that the topic of justice is inextricably linked to the nexus of humanity and natural disasters. “I think what I saw in Sonoma — it’s not a surprise — but it’s often the most vulnerable, the most marginalized people that have to pay the greatest price,” said Knowles.
In the weeks after the Tubbs Fire, Chris’ 88-year-old father died from prolonged smoke exposure. Maribel, who works in restaurants, struggled to find work after the fire because the restaurants remained closed. The blaze left Maribel out of work for a month and struggling to pay rent. Gilham, a sculptor in Sonoma, lost his artwork along with his home. “I was immediately struck by the different ways in which this [fire] was impacting different people,” explained Knowles. Inevitably in the aftermath of the fire, Gilham, Chris, and Maribel all began to question the viability of Sonoma as a home for themselves and future generations.
Chris explained how people saw Sonoma “as this untouchable paradise.” The Tubbs Fire challenged this conception of Sonoma as the fire altered both the physical appearance of the land and the residents’ attitudes towards Sonoma. “Some people had their homes destroyed completely and that is an unimaginable kind of trauma. It’s just a litany of things both emotional and logistical that you have to pick up the pieces from,” explained Knowles. A 2016 paper from the journal The Nation’s Health states that climate change and the resulting natural disasters disproportionately affect vulnerable groups such as impoverished communities, the elderly, and minorities. A sizable portion of Sonoma’s elderly population is vulnerable to natural disasters that result from climate change. According to U.S. Census data, 19.7 percent of Sonoma County’s population is over the age of 65. Santa Rosa’s newspaper The Press Democrat profiled 22 Sonoma County victims lost in the Tubbs Fire. 18 of those victims were over the age of 65.
Life changing events such as wildfires and natural disasters act as a wake up call and bring people face-to-face with the harsh reality of their newfound situations. Gilham came to the realization that it is increasingly difficult for artists like himself to survive in Sonoma. When talking about moving from Mexico to Sonoma, Maribel simply said, “I chose this place for my daughters and their future. But I’m not so sure anymore.” Chris reflected a similar sentiment of worry and uncertainty about whether his son will be able to make a living and survive in their town.
At one particularly profound moment in the film, Gilham walked over to his mother’s hibiscus plant on his property that was badly burned in the fire. He checked the roots and determined “it will come back.” Just as the hibiscus will regrow, the audience hopes Sonoma too will recover and be a stable home for Chris, Gilham, Maribel, and their respective families. However, hearing “it will come back” also brings the return of something more ominous to mind. The Health, Wildfires & Climate Change in California report published by UC Berkeley’s CITRIS Policy Lab and Banatao Institute in October 2019 explains California’s wildfire problem is increasing as the state becomes hotter and drier due to climate change.
Many believe that California needs to treat wildfires as an environmental justice issue and respond to natural disasters appropriately and equitably. Knowles pointed out that “as climate change becomes more and more ubiquitous, it’s always going to be the people already struggling to just get by that are going to feel it first.” Steps need to be taken to ensure that the rise of frequent and intense wildfires does not coincide with an intensity of the impact on vulnerable groups. “Historically, we don’t do a great job in this country of protecting vulnerable people anyway and that’s why they’re vulnerable,” said Knowles. The lack of protection for people of color, low income, and frontline communities throughout history makes rectifying inequality even more difficult.
Knowles hopes “After the Fire” will “increase our empathy and understanding of what’s going to be a frequent occurrence for a lot of modern people, in the world, and in this country. Hopefully that just provokes some continued action around combating climate change.” The San Francisco Green Film Festival provides a platform for both international and local directors to showcase their environmental topics of interest. Films that focus on the impact of the climate crisis on communities can create public awareness and start a dialogue around environmental justice. “After the Fire” is especially powerful as a local project focusing on deeply rooted communities and relevant subject matter like the widespread symptoms of climate change. Such films can profoundly affect audiences by shining a light on the often hidden aspects of familiar concepts, like “home,” and how homes continue to be threatened — and vulnerable populations disproportionately so — across California.
Grace Sandel is a first-year studying Society and Environment. Grace joined Perennial to share environmental topics and issues with the Berkeley community. She is especially interested in ocean ecosystems and marine life. In her free time, Grace enjoys going to the beach, hiking, and spending time outdoors.