Rebuilding Paradise Evokes the Wrath of Nature and Bureaucracy

National Geographic

Rebuilding Paradise is a roller-coaster of tragedy and hope for a town ravaged by wildfire. Within the first few moments of the documentary, we’re exposed to the nightmare that was the small town of Paradise, California, being consumed by the wildfire that broke out in 2018. The sky grows black as deep reds scorch the land, consuming homes and exploding propane tanks. The area’s residents evacuate as quickly as they can, but there aren’t enough emergency services to save everyone or put out the fire. Dozens of people unfortunately perished in the blaze. Those who survived were grateful but had a whole new horrible reality to face once the smoke cleared.

Directed by Ron Howard, the film follows the stories of several residents and how they try to rebuild their lives after the incident. Everyone is displaced, struggling to find places to live, ways to earn money, and ways for their children to continue their education. They face pressures from all sides. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) refuses to offer them help unless they clear away most of the land. Utilities company PG&E comes to apologize for the faulty design of its dated infrastructure, which led to the spread, and says that rebuilding the energy grid for the area will take five years. Speculation is that rebuilding could actually take as long as 25 years. And this doesn’t even begin to address the environmental factors, like the water being unsafe to drink.

For many, the immediate reaction to such a scorched town would be to move away. But as Rebuilding Paradise takes the time to illustrate, this is not an option for these residents. Even those who want to move away cannot do so. Many of them have absolutely nothing, and their futures lie in the ashes of their town. One woman tries to come to terms with the fact that remaining in Paradise with its current water and other environmental issues will pretty much end her chances of wanting to start a family. Those who already have children struggle to hold their lives together in FEMA housing, some couples barely hanging together and only refusing to get divorced because of tough times.

The film is kept deeply contemplative and somber throughout, never shrinking away from the more depressing elements in all of this. One of the more prominent figures it follows is a school administrator struggling with all her might to get everything back on track and kids back in school. None of it is easy. She works around the clock to ensure classes can finish up in either makeshift classrooms or neighboring schools. Her husband notices that she isn’t eating and that she’s pushing herself too hard. Looking into her weary eyes, you can practically see the mantra running through her head: “What choice do I have?”

The victories are few and small but quietly celebrated. An area old-timer doesn’t intend on leaving; in fact, he’s planning to rebuild his house, and the second he gets approval to start construction, he wastes no time. He’s excited and emotional about achieving his dream of living and dying the way he wants in Paradise. Eventually, parts of the town return to normal. The man’s house is rebuilt, the school is rebuilt, residents return, and a new school year begins. Adults are tearful about their kids getting back to school, and graduating teenagers contemplate plans to keep Paradise alive one way or another.

Though Rebuilding Paradise seems to end on an upbeat note, it doesn’t underplay the true terror of this situation. The residents are resilient, but what would happen should another natural disaster befall their town? Would they build again? As was the case in 2018, they’d have no choice. That’s the real horror in all of this: a combination of shifting natural forces and faulty infrastructure from companies that will do little to offset the costs borne by those whose lives have been destroyed. The film ends with a montage of natural disasters that cropped up around the world at the same time as the burning of Paradise. It lets us know that the story of this place is not at all a self-contained town-triumphs-over-tragedy tale. It’s a heartbreaking example of how the environment is degrading amid climate change and how local governments are letting their people down. The people of Paradise remain, but only so far as outside forces beyond their control will allow.