Centralia
The town of Centralia, Pennsylvania has been on fire since 1962. This project follows the enigmatic trail of one, James Paulson——the man responsible for inadvertently igniting the devastating mine fire that would claim his rural community. Now, fifty years estranged from his friends and family, this film constructs a portrait of Paulson through his recovered letters, home movies, and interviews with those now lost to him. This is not a redemption, but an explanation.
2010
video/super8
color/sound
24m
The town of Centralia, Pennsylvania has been on fire since 1962. This project follows the enigmatic trail of one, James Paulson——the man responsible for inadvertently igniting the devastating mine fire that would claim his rural community. Now, fifty years estranged from his friends and family, this film constructs a portrait of Paulson through his recovered letters, home movies, and interviews with those now lost to him. This is not a redemption, but an explanation.
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