Equal parts awe-inspiring and anxiety-inducing, Brimstone and Glory’s chronicle of an annual fireworks extravaganza in Tultepec, Mexico, is a visual, jaw-dropping spectacle like no other documentary before it. In the days leading up to the explosive celebration of San Juan de Dios, director Viktor Jakovleski and his daring camera crew (including Beasts of the Southern Wild filmmaker Benh Zeitlin) record the dangerous lives of brave, some would say insane, fireworkmakers whose any false move or measurement could mean death. Though three-quarters of the residents of the small Mexican village work year-round in the pyrotechnic industry, the annual festival remains an immensely exciting, personal—if not spiritual—event for its citizens. When the sun goes down, setting the stage for the unveiling of the grand pyrotechnic finale, this immersive documentary delivers some of the most stunning and visceral footage captured on camera. Backed by a soul-stirring soundtrack, Brimstone & Glory proves to be a transcendent experience for all.

In competition for the Schlesinger Award.