Documentary shows consequences of stockades

A documentary about the aftermath of this year’s devastating Los Angeles wildfires – produced by Mark Hamill and Ricki Lake – launched as the film was released on Vimeo on Wednesday.

Directed by David Goldblum, a Big Rock resident who lost his home in the fire, “Big Rock Burning” is a 30-minute film that tells the story of residents affected by the Pacific Palisades fires and captures their process of rebuilding destroyed neighborhoods.

Following the alleged arrest of arsonist Jonathan Rinderknecht, accused by authorities of intentionally setting the spark, the filmmakers opted to bypass traditional distribution to release the film directly to audiences.

“Even though we were in constant discussions with different distributors, the schedule did not match our hopes of making the film available as soon as possible,” Goldblum said in a statement. “We never made the film to stay on that. People need closure, and we hope this release will help communities begin to heal. We are using this film to call for change.”

“Big Rock Burning” premiered at Malibu City Hall. Its run includes screenings at the Mill Valley Film Festival, the Santa Fe International Film Festival, the Newport Beach Film Festival and the SCAD Savannah Film Festival.

As part of the film’s ongoing impact campaign, Goldblum will participate in a special session with the Global Change Council at United Nations Headquarters on October 22 to use the film as a call to action.

The session, involving the World Bank and the Malala Fund, will be broadcast live on United Nations Web TV.

The filmmakers are dedicated to advocating for legislative reform around land management at the local and state levels.

Ten percent of all proceeds from the film’s release will be donated to the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu’s Disaster Recovery Services, which provides long-term, comprehensive, trauma-informed care and resource coordination for survivors of the Pacific Palisades Fire.

“Big Rock Burning” is produced by Julie Parker Benello (“American Factory,” “Athlete A”) of Secret Sauce Media and James Costa (“The Dating Game,” “Welcome to Chechnya”) of Bird Street Productions, alongside Goldblum.

Oscar-winning director Bryan Fogel also serves as executive producer alongside Marilou Hamill, Trevor Burgess, Judith Helfand, Oliver Blank and Meadow Fund.

Check out the trailer for “Big Rock Burn” below: