Hell in a Climate Haven
A film by Thomas Comick & Amelia Waldeck
Viewing: June 19th, 2025 at the Madison County Arts Council 90 S. Main Street
Marshall NC, at 6:30PM
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, a woman searching for her emu, a man rescuing neighbors in a kayak, and local artists reckon with the myth of safety in the North Carolina mountains.
“Hell in a Climate Haven” is a short documentary capturing the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina through the eyes of those left to pick up the pieces: artists whose studios were washed out, a woman searching for her lost emu, and a man who paddled through floodwaters in a kayak to save his neighbors. Set in Marshall, Swannanoa, and Asheville, the film explores what’s left behind when a so-called safe haven is swallowed by disaster.
We meet a woman mourning the loss of her emu, swept away by the rising waters. A man recounts how he paddled his kayak through submerged streets, rescuing neighbors in the dark. And local artists reflect on the fragility of both community and creation in the face of natural disaster.
Through poetic visuals and intimate voices, the film challenges the notion of Appalachia as a climate refuge, revealing the cracks in even the most “protected” landscapes. It’s a personal and urgent portrait of survival, loss, and the resilience of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.
