An Interview with Rebuilding Paradise Executive Producer Sara Bernstein

We’ve been dealing with the effects of wildfire and smoke for the last couple of weeks. Here’s the basic truth. The states of Oregon, Washington and California are on fire. Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate and many on a moment’s notice. Frightening stuff.

If you’re not one of the thousands impacted then you have no idea of the danger faced by those having to evacuate.

Academy Award-wining director Ron Howard recently released a documentary through National Geographic called Rebuilding Paradise. His movie opens with the city of Paradise, California being burned to the ground. The scenes are terrifying and if you’re not aware of what’s really going on, you’ll think these are the best special effects you’ve ever seen at the opening of a movie.

But they aren’t special effects. Not even close. The footage comes from video shot on smartphones and from shots done by news crews. They show a terrifying truth. Wildfire is an uncontrollable force and the proof of that comes from the morning of November 8, 2019. An inferno tore through the California city of Paradise. Officials titled the blaze the Camp Fire. It killed 85 people. Over 18,000 homes and buildings were obliterated.

And when the smoke cleared 50,000 citizens of Paradise were homeless.

A couple of weeks ago I interviewed Sara Bernstein who is an executive producer of the movie. Her insights into Howard’s movie-making and the tragedy that the people of Paradise dealt with are fascinating and will help those of you not impacted by the actual fires to understand how awful this is for the victims.

Click here to see my interview with Rebuilding Paradise executive producer, Sara Bernstein.

Click here to read my review of the movie Rebuilding Paradise