After a wildfire destroys his home, divorced father and ranch owner Dusty (Josh O’Connor) must plant new roots. Now living in a close knit trailer community, he quietly reassembles his life, reconnecting with his estranged young daughter and ex-wife (Meghann Fahy).

From filmmaker Max Walker-Silverman and also starring Academy Award nominee Amy Madigan, Rebuilding is a heartfelt portrait of resilience and human connection in the wake of loss.

The Garden Cinema View:

Rebuilding hangs heavy with loss – of people, possessions, and, most pointedly, home. Josh O’Connor gives a suitably weathered and beaten performance as a man coming to terms with devastating wildfires which have destroyed his family ranch, and now adjusting to FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) temporary trailer accommodation. But Rebuilding is also a film that revels in the natural splendour of Colorado – a majestic land that is increasingly under threat from global heating. Max Walker-Silverman treats this landscape with painterly awe, indulging in the mountains, moonlight, and breaking light of dawn.

There’s a debt here to Chloé Zhao, particularly Nomadland and her masterful The Rider. As with those films Rebuilding retains faith in the strength of community, and our ability to build new found families. A lilting Americana score lends the film a tone that is elegiac and hopeful, reinforcing the idea that nature and people alike require care, but can coexist.

Cast:
Josh O'Connor, Meghann Fahy, Lily LaTorre, Kali Reis, Amy Madigan