Super important for those concerned about wildfires vs suburbs. In order to get its message out, I wish the director had cut it much more tightly, removing the human interest material after the first third of the film. It's fine to start with human interest and people's experiences of the two fires, but once solutions begin to be proposed, this documentary should buckle down and get rid of human interest fluff from that point onward. I deducted a point for the large amount of fluff (this doc is over 2 hours?!!) but the importance of its message kept its score high.
The saddest part of the film is its accurate depiction of people's unwillingness to change when they know that change is good, and will benefit themselves and those around them. It's shocking to see people hang onto their old ways, and reject things which will help them, keep them safer, and make their neighborhood safer.
The most surprising part of this film is the linkage back to Europe (an unusually low-fire region) → European colonists & attitudes → certain laws and ways of doing business → increase in wildfires. It's not just about a profit-centered culture, but the fault of people of one biome living in another. As the indigenous lady says, wherever you go, you must listen to the environment of that place.