On the front lines with firefighters combating blazes in the city with the highest rate of arson in the nation, “BURN” gives a close-up view of those tasked with the thankless job of rescuing a city others have written off. Once a flourishing beacon of industry, Detroit is now seen by many as vast wasteland of abandoned buildings left as kindling. But hope rises from the ashes in the form of the resolute spirit of the brave few who refuse to give up on the city they call home. From executive producer Dennis Leary and directors Tom Putnam and Brenna Sanchez, this riveting and inspiring documentary spends a year in one of the nation’s busiest and worst-funded firehouses, with the men who stand tall in the face of the daily threat of injury, and worse. Each of the firefighters has a story to tell, which this documentary smartly wraps into a larger analysis of the flaws in the system at large to create an emotionally-charged portrait of some of our nation’s true heroes.
In Person: Directors Brenna Sanchez and Tom Putnam and firefighters from Detroit’s Engine Company 50.