Burned To The Ground | Guardian Documentaries

Wallop Film was commissioned by The Guardian (UK) to make a documentary about a small village in British Columbia that caught the attention of the world when it smashed Canada’s highest temperature ever recorded. Two days later, it had burned to the ground. Amidst the backdrop of the global climate story, we tell the story of three people who show us the fragility of what we call “home” – and how the spirit of a place can live on through the people who share its story.

Lytton is a unique place in North America because of its history and unique ethnic diversity. The traditional home of the Nlaka’pamux Nation, Lytton, has a special significance as the place where the Thompson and Fraser Rivers converge and the bloodlines of regional Indigenous peoples mix. It is also the home of settlers from the frontier days, seeking their fortune in mining, and home to direct descendants of Chinese railroad workers who made it their home after their cross-Canada journey. Our documentary team spent time in Lytton, to discover what happened on June 30, 2021 and understand the emotional reality of what people have endured since. Through our documentary we pose the question: Can this community hold on to its identity after being displaced far and wide; and will these strong, diverse peoples who have coexisted here for decades teach us something about the dangerous path we are all on?