Rebuilding

Dusty (a deliberately dialed-down Josh O’Connor) is a cowboy, but he’s far from the rugged hero of western legends or Marlboro ads. When his ranch is engulfed by fire, Dusty, unlike the heroic archetypes of American pop culture, makes no grand gesture, nor does he miraculously save the day. Struggling through an existential crisis and left without a roof over his head, he ends up in a temporary camp for victims of the wildfires ravaging the area. There, he unexpectedly crosses paths with his ex-wife and the young daughter he hasn’t seen in years, both also affected by the disaster. Could this chance encounter be fate’s twisted way of offering him a second chance? And will Dusty seize the opportunity to repair the neglected relationships in his life? Set against the boundless landscapes of Colorado and inspired by actual events from the life of director Max Walker-Silverman (A Love Song, 13th AFF), Rebuilding is both a painful and soothing film. Though the filmmaker doesn’t spare his characters from hardship, he holds on to the belief that it is often in these moments of crisis that people find the strength to move beyond their own ego and truly open up to one another.