By John Corrado

The 2024 Hot Docs Film Festival runs from April 25th to May 5th in Toronto

Filmmaker Tova Krentzman offers an intriguing glimpse into the lives of lookouts in her documentary Fire Tower, introducing us to some of the people who spend six months of the year in towers a hundred feet above Canada’s boreal forest, diligently watching for the first glimpses of forest fires.

You watch a film like Fire Tower to get a glimpse into a different way of life, and Krentzman’s mid-length documentary offers brief introductions to several interesting characters who describe what life is like. They talk about the loneliness they experience, but also the spiritual awakenings that this solitude can bring. The film doesn’t overstay its welcome either at a satisfying if brief 47 minutes.

It’s in many ways a look at a lost art, with one fifth of lookout towers having been replaced by cameras in 2016. Emily Sheff’s cinematography beautifully captures what the lookout sees from atop the tower, a stunning view with potential dangers lurking in the distance.

Film Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)

Fire Tower screens as part of the 2024 Hot Docs Film Festival, more information on tickets and showtimes can be found right here.