The makers of BURNED: Protecting the Protectors will release a new documentary later this year that takes a deeper look at the dangers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS). It’s called GENX: the Saga of Forever Chemicals.
GENX has been a labor-of-love for Elijah Yetter-Bowman, the founder of Ethereal Films. They jumped into action when they learned that DuPont contaminated their hometown’s water supply with various forms of PFAS including one called GenX.
Chemours formed to take over certain productions from the DuPont chemical company including all PFAS, among other technologies used in a wide array of industries, including refrigeration, coatings, transportation, and consumer goods
“When I was a kid, my mom came home worried because half of her face felt numb,” said Yetter-Bowman. “She was eventually diagnosed with Neuroscardosis which is an autoimmune disease that impacts the central nervous system. A few years later, I found out that we had been drinking forever chemicals for my entire life. And we already knew they were linked to cancers and immune system malfunction”
Yetter-Bowman wanted to do something meaningful that would inspire more people to take action against the use of all forms of PFAS.
They spent the next seven years conducting research and interviewing experts for a four-part documentary exposing North Carolina’s pollution problem and the global PFAS issue.
Along the way, they connected with other people fighting against PFAS contamination. Actor Mark Ruffalo signed on as a producer due to his work in the film, Dark Waters, which dramatizes the true story of attorney Rob Bilott taking the fight against DuPont in the courts . And the IAFF provided subject matter experts for interviews and worked to gain the attention of decision makers who could help influence change.
BURNED was initially supposed to be part of GENX, but when they realized that not enough people were informed about the presence of PFAS in firefighting gear and its harmful effects. So, Yetter-Bowman decided to release BURNED separately in March 2023.
IAFF members and others have since organized 1,600 in-person screenings in their communities.
We’re grateful to Ethereal Films for their important work raising awareness about the toxic dangers manufactured into our gear. It’s only by working together – union leaders, scientists, filmmakers, politicians, concerned citizens – that we can end the scourge of occupational cancer in the fire service.
General President Edward Kelly
“We’re grateful to Ethereal Films for their important work raising awareness about the toxic dangers manufactured into our gear,” said General President Edward Kelly. “It’s only by working together – union leaders, scientists, filmmakers, politicians, concerned citizens – that we can end the scourge of occupational cancer in the fire service.”
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