Fire Tower is a characterdriven documentary with dramatic landscapes, intense conditions and farout stories – akin to astronauts and lighthouse keepers. Perched in the Rocky Mountains and above empty expanses across the Yukon, we meet the people behind the binoculars. They all experience the rush of spotting smokes and preempting evacuations.
They all take pride in protecting the land and its people. They have all been struck by lightning. Tower lookouts remind us that climate change and technology are encroaching on all our lives and livelihoods. For more than a century, they have been the dedicated “eyes in the sky”, a critical firstline of defence. Today, despite the unprecedented number of wildfires, there are only three provinces that continue to employ human radar. How can they compete with fleets of drones, satellites and cell phones?

Directed by Tova Krentzman. Premiering at Hot Docs 2024.

POV received the filmmaker's permission to upload this video to YouTube.