Rebuilding

We all read about the trials and tribulations endured by the survivors of natural disasters, but rarely do we get to witness what it’s like to go through them on a daily basis. Moreover, it’s even rarer to see such happenings movingly portrayed on the big screen. Which is what helps to make this second feature outing from writer-director Max Walker-Silverman not only a fine piece of filmmaking, but also such an unexpectedly touching cinematic experience. When Colorado cowboy Dusty Fraser (Josh O’Connor) loses virtually everything in a wildfire, he’s left to pick up the pieces as he faces an un…

Martin Oaks

2026-08-20

⭐ 6

**Ashes, community, and resilience** A poignant neo-western written and directed by Max Walker-Silverman—a filmmaker with a lean filmography who here tackles the social aftermath of a devastating wildfire through a slow-burning feature film about loss, working-class dignity, and the rebuilding of community ties. All of this is set against the unforgiving rural landscapes of the San Luis Valley in southern Colorado, where Dusty’s century-old ranch is razed by flames in one of the multiple fires taking hold of America's most neglected territories. Having lost his property and lacking the fina…