Trigger warning: This article contains a first-hand account of the summer bushfires in the Southern Highlands.
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Villages in the Southern Highlands that were devastated by the 2019-2020 bushfires are some of the many locations explored in the film A Fire Inside.
It is a film that shines a spotlight on the losses, the dedication of RFS members to their villages, the power of kindness but the everlasting toll the blazes have had on many communities.
Balmoral RFS Captain Brendon O'Connor was one of the firefighters who told his story in the film produced by the independent production company FINCH.
"They've got to the heart of it of how it affects us personally - we will put our lives at risk time and time again, but of course there is an effect on that," he said.
"Eleven times our village had fire go through the whole village, and to save what we saved was incredible.
"And that's what I hold onto to get through it - the 20 homes that were lost is devastating, there's no words to explain how I feel about the two firefighters who died."
Producer and head of longform entertainment at FINCH Camilla Mazzaferro said it was important to tell these stories differently to what was shown in the media.
"At the time, there was a lot of fire sensationalism," she said.
"People lost lives and lost property, so we focused on who wanted to share their stories, and we met people along the way."
Mrs Mazzaferro said that FINCH began by speaking to different RFS members and asked if people were interested in sharing their stories.
The Balmoral RFS Captain did not want to tell his story without documenting the support he received from Quest for Life CEO Petrea King, and the help the foundation provided to firefighters and residents.
"A firefighter's partner was working at Quest and she mentioned it to us because she saw the stress in all of us, and the tension that was there," he said.
"We went out and met with Brendon and the others and thought, 'What can we do that is more practical?'" Ms King explained.
"We talked and listened to their input, and we sent a team of four people into these communities.
The CEO explained Quest for Life, that provides programs for communities and individuals to help them through periods of trauma and times of hardship, sent a team to help the firefighters cope.
She also mentioned the foundation opened in Bundanoon for residents, to offer support and "little gestures of concern and caring that made such a difference for people."
"We are in the film for a bit talking about trauma and the impact it has, and running the group," she continued.
Mr O'Connor said he also wanted to highlight the importance of seeking help to cope with the fires' long-lasting impacts.
"They've shown we're not supermen, we're not superheroes, we are human like everyone else but will do extraordinary things to help others," he began.
"But to know what we did, and to stand in temperatures over 1000 degrees where things were melting around us, our bodies should not have withstood that.
"Every guardian angel we had, the good lord and the goodwill of so many people that were sending us love, that had to have been what got us through."
Mrs Mazzaferro wanted the film to show support and kindness could have a monumental impact.
"We wanted people to feel inspired and positive about how incredible humans could be, and want to feel inspired to help," she said.
Mr O'Connor said he was looking forward to uniting with people, seeing people smile and potentially meeting with others who featured in the film.
The movie is rated M, and will be released in cinemas nationwide on October 7.
The film will feature at Empire Cinemas from October 14.
Ms King advised if people thought they would get triggered by the film, it might be best not to watch it, or make sure they watched it with someone.
Lifeline has a dedicated 24-hour bushfire recovery support line: 13 HELP (13 43 57).
A list of mental health support services in the region can also be found here.