"All the Walls Came Down": L.A. Fire Survivors Fight Foreclosure & Demand Justice in Altadena

We look at All the Walls Came Down, a new short documentary directed by filmmaker Ondi Timoner that looks back at the devastating 2025 fires in Los Angeles, which destroyed Timoner’s home and left the historically Black community of Altadena in ruins. The film, which has been shortlisted for an Academy Award, follows community organizer Heavenly Hughes as residents confront the aftermath of the fires and organize to rebuild their town.

“We feel like we’re being forced out because of this fire and not really getting the support that we need from our elected officials to be sure to preserve and protect our Black and Brown community,” says Hughes.

Timoner says Southern California Edison, which has taken responsibility for the Eaton Fire, has refused to tap its emergency funds. The utility company needs to “bridge families over so that they’re not pushed off their generational land,” Timoner says. “It’s an urgent situation in our town.”