Fairfield bursts with pride for filmmaker

FAIRFIELD — The Fairfield community excitedly welcomed Maharishi School graduate Alana Waksman’s debut of her first feature film Saturday.

“We Burn Like This” from Phoenix Film Festival’s Best Director Waksman has premiered across the world, and continues to gain support.

Waksman was all smiles as she brought home her pride and joy to show to the community she considers family.

“We’re all living together and we support each other effortlessly,” Waksman’s mother Carolyn Waksman said. “We love this place and the people we know here. It’s like family.”

“We knew everyone in the theater for the two shows,” her dad, Sol Waksman said.

Alana Waksman attributes audiences filling the theater twice to her parents, who have supported her wholeheartedly every stop of the way.

Her parents made it their mission to tell everyone they knew about their daughter’s accomplishment and encourage them to join them for the premiere.

Waksman’s mother hung fliers everywhere she could think and was pleasantly surprised to have other local businesses coming to her asking for fliers to hang.

“Some of the places I went to hang fliers back up at had already rehung them,” Carolyn Waksman said. “That’s not something that they normally do.”

The Fairfield community supported Waksman as she raised funds for the film and continue to support her as she travels the world proudly showing off her hard work.

The pride of the community was readily apparent during the question and answer segment following each screening.

“You make this community proud,” one attendee said opening the second showing’s Q&A.

“This is the best movie I’ve seen come out of Fairfield,” another said.

The audience and Waksman chatted back and forth about cinematography choices, symbolism, character development, and the creation of the film.

“We Burn Like This” is a film about a 22-year-old woman coming of age, finding herself, and accepting her ancestry.

With loud moments of silence, picturesque scenes, and intentional framing, the movie is intimate.

“We Burn Like This” was shot with digital cameras in a 1:6:6 aspect ratio to further accentuate an intimate feeling.

This aspect ratio is smaller than the average big screen, and draws the edges in closer to the scenes.

Waksman explained that a majority of the film is about what is going on inside the main character, Rae’s head. So, Waksman worked with her crew to use this 1:6:6 ratio to frame Rae’s face, and focus the attention.

Additionally, the framing included significant room above Rae’s head to provide symbolic room for searching.

“It really drew you in,” an attendee Waksman called Sheila said.

This film is now available to rent or purchase on multiple online platforms including, iTunes, YouTube, Amazon, Google Play, and many others.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com