The whirling sound of an ambulance siren is synonymous with pain, trauma, and tragedy. As one rushes by me, I can’t help but think about the victim inside. However, in Miguel López Valdivia’s powerful short documentary Burnout, we see that the pain isn’t just felt by the passengers, but the paramedics as well. “Burnout”, the title of the film, refers to the term used to describe the emotional weariness of people working in high-stress situations. This raw, immersive documentary profiles Alejandro Ezquerra Osorio, a young paramedic, as he works the chaotic streets of Mexico City. From gunshots to car accidents, we see firsthand how these tragic instances affect the people who are tasked to handle them day in and day out.
Shot in just one day, Miguel captures the panic and horror the paramedics witness, and reflects it in the way he films as well — gritty, shaky, and honest. He does not shy away from blood or pain, because it is part of the process and an element of humanity. Burnout is not a pretty film, but as bleak as it may seem, it shows that in the face of all that ugliness there are people who try to make it better.
This film is rated mature and contains images of wounded and dead people.
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Source: Vimeo