This is the story of the courageous all-female Apache 8 firefighting unit which has protected their reservation and responded to wildfires around the nation for 30 years. This group, which recently became co-ed, earned the reputation of being fierce, loyal and dependable--and tougher than their male colleagues. Despite facing gender stereotypes and the problems that come with life on the impoverished reservation, the women became known as some of the country's most elite firefighters. The film focuses on four women from different generations of Apache 8 crewmembers who speak tenderly and often humorously of hardship, loss, family, community and pride in being a firefighter.
Acting
Four women carrying decades of fire in their voices.
Production
Intimate rez access most filmmakers never get.
Director
Sande Zeig
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Apache 8 was one of the first all-female hotshot crews in the US Forest Service, formed partly because reservation women had fewer employment options and partly because they were simply that good.
Director Sande Zeig spent three years building trust before filming; several crew members initially refused, having been exploited by media before.
US
