This film is based on information gathered for a joint investigation of the Joelma Building fire in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 1974 by the National Fire Protection Association and the National Bureau of Standards (US Dept of Commerce). It is a sobering and haunting account of a real-life “towering inferno” - two hours of fire, 179 dead. It contains graphic and disturbing images of people leaping to their death. However, it also shows firefighting and rescue efforts and uses animation to show how fires spread in high rise buildings. Electronic score by Robert Ceely.
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How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
321644
Language
English
Subject categories
Anthropology, Ethnology, Exploration & Travel → Brazil
Climate, Environment, Natural Resources & Disasters → Fire control
Climate, Environment, Natural Resources & Disasters → Fire fighters
Communications, Infrastructure, & Transport → Fire control
Communications, Infrastructure, & Transport → Fire fighters
Communications, Infrastructure, & Transport → High-rise apartment buildings - Social aspects
Documentary → Documentary films - United States
Food, Health, Lifestyle, Medicine, Psychology & Safety → Dwellings - Fires and fire prevention
Food, Health, Lifestyle, Medicine, Psychology & Safety → Fire control
Food, Health, Lifestyle, Medicine, Psychology & Safety → Fire fighters
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Colour
Holdings
16mm film; Preservation Print (Section 5)
16mm film; Access Print (Section 1)