Escape Fire

When dealing with a wildfire, emergency crews might light another fire in their vicinity so that the real thing has nothing else to burn. This film has nothing to do with fires, however: It’s a health-care wake-up call, one that cries out for education and alternative, integrative treatments instead of simply medicating the symptoms. Even with universal health care, the film argues, the only thing we really get is nationwide disease management, not a solution. The solution, then? Better diet, more exercise and a reduction in stress. Although Escape Fire doesn’t exactly break any ground with that part of its message, some of the perspectives—former insurance executives, frustrated doctors trapped in a horrible system, and soldiers paying a huge cost for their service after they return home—are truly worth hearing.