First Run Features: Roots of Fire

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“If you’re not living your culture, you’re killing your culture.”

In Roots of Fire, five award-winning musicians honor the rich history and cultural legacy of Cajun music. The Cajun contemporary scene in Louisiana has found mainstream success with Grammy nominations and wins, but shuttering venues and an aging fan base leave some questioning the music’s future.

With Wilson Savoy, Joel Savoy, Kelli Jones, Kristi Guillory, and Jourdan Thibodeaux lending their voices, the film is a celebration of the unique sounds created when the forces of fresh talent and deep history come together to fight for cultural survival.

Featuring electrifying performances from the Pine Leaf Boys, Feufollet, Jourdan Thibodeaux et Les Rôdailleurs, Bonsoir Catin, T'Monde, Anna Laura Edmiston and Roddie Romero, the crowd-pleasing Roots of Fire shows how playing kick-ass music and preserving Cajun tradition for future generations can be a shared goal.

"Rousing...passionate! Peppered with concert footage and juicy interviews, 'Roots of Fire' is a warm portrait of the saucy inheritors of one of America’s cultural treasures: Cajun music." - Robin Menken, Filmfestivals.com

"Gorgeous cinematography and a soundtrack that is always sharp and compelling...an excellent entry point for anyone looking to learn more about the vibrant Cajun culture and the stunning music at its core." - Forrest Hartman, Highbrow Magazine

"Enchanting, enthralling, unforgettable...one of the finest music documentaries I've had the pleasure of experiencing, making it an essential watch for anyone who possesses a deep passion for the art of music." - Dustin Vitale, Overly Honest Film Reviews

"Get ready to feel the blood rush into your perception of existence in directors Abby Berendt Lavoi and Jeremey Lavoi’s profound cajun music documentary Roots of Fire. Prepare to be immersed in the wild gumbo of the live scene in Lafayette, Louisiana, that strives to keep the locals’ French traditions alive. The audience is in for a hurricane of fun...the music produces an unquenchable joy that is genuine and undeniable. Roots of Fire reminds me of Les Blank’s legendary documentaries on music and food. Like Blank, the Lavois explore their subject with such passion it transcends the bounds of the specifics. The insights into life and existence are surprising and intense." - Michael Talbot-Haynes, FILM THREAT

Roots of Fire
A film by Abby Berendt Lavoi & Jeremey Lavoi
85 minutes, color, English, 2022