AT FIRSTGLANCE: Controlled Burn

Set in nearby Mt. Airy, Controlled Burn asks viewers just how far one human can go to support another.

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AT FIRSTGLANCE: Controlled Burn

POSTED: Wednesday, October 12, 2011, 10:00 AM

Filed Under: Movies | Film Fest Movie Review

Check this space all week for coverage and reviews of the 2011 FirstGlance Film Festival.

Set in nearby Mt. Airy, Controlled Burn asks viewers just how far one human can go to support another. Does one life have the right to live if it overtakes another? Echoing the sentiments of a forest overrun with foliage and grasping vines, the short film shows how a controlled burn can ultimately let the standing trees shine. Local filmmaker Dan Van Wert based the short piece on his father’s own short story, entitled "The Firebringer." Juxtaposing love and common comfort with the dramatic tones of fire, betrayal and independence, this film works hard to offer an intimate space of troubled love. The cinematic elements — the way light provides both intimate space and confusion — are what keep the narrative alive. While the premise questions basic assumptions about humanity and will surely spark many a philosophical conversation, the prize really goes to the actors (including locals Nancy Boykin and Dan Kern) for their interaction with the scene around them.

CITY PAPER GRADE: B

Sat., Oct. 15, 3:15 p.m., $8, screens with Little Hero, More to Live For, Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St., firstglancefilms.com/philadelphia.

(megan.augustin@citypaper.net)

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