Olivia Newman finds film location scouting triggering after Eaton fire loss
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 8
Olivia Newman finds film location scouting triggering after Eaton fire loss
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 8
The January 2025 blaze destroyed her Altadena home, and Netflix moved Newman, her husband and two children to Vancouver two days later before preproduction.
While scouting about a dozen waterfront houses for “Remarkably Bright Creatures,” Newman said ordinary household items repeatedly reminded her of everything her family had lost.
The experience became entwined with making the Netflix adaptation, which debuts Friday, after the family arrived in Canada with only essentials following the Southern California fire.
A director lost her home, then made a film about loss. How did personal tragedy ultimately transform her art?
Can Altadena's diverse community survive a recovery that prioritizes expensive new structures over its former residents?
Will thousands of Eaton Fire victims see justice from a utility accused of hiding evidence behind protective orders?