Former Henderson firefighter holds movie premiere at Showplace Cinemas
HENDERSON, Ky. (WFIE) - Showplace Cinemas in Henderson is hosting the world premiere of a film made by a Henderson native.
The film is called “Fighting the Fire,” and it follows the stories of several firefighters and their struggles with dealing with the trauma that comes with the job.
Henderson native Bobby Lacer made the movie after serving as a firefighter for about 25 years in Henderson, Corydon and Shelby County.
In his experience, he says there’s always one call or run that sticks with you.
“I still to this day wake up in cold sweats, or nightmares simply because that single run, why that one has stuck with me over others, I’ll probably never know,” said Lacer.
Lacer decided to take his experiences from the fire station to the big screen. He said it was really special to be able to premiere the film in his hometown where he first served as a firefighter alongside his brother.
“Fighting the Fire” lead actor James Dickey said the film brings the world into the mind of a first responder.
“We want to bring mental health and the stress and anxiety, PTSD and even alcoholism that a lot of our first responders, not just paramedics and firefighters, but even police and 911 operators might experience,” Dickey said.
Members of the Shelby County Fire Department traveled two-and-a-half hours to see the film’s premiere. Firefighter Steven Shannon says he’s seen the impacts of the job firsthand.
“A member of our department, he had left our department and was with EMS, but he took his life,” said Shannon. “So, it does kind of hit home when you’ve got people like that.”
For Lacer, the purpose of his movie was to help people like Shannon’s fallen co-worker. He said the success of his passion project won’t be measured in sales at the box office.
“If this screening convinces one person who’s struggling to seek help and to become better, or it encourages one person who is thinking about making that ultimate decision, to say ‘Wait, I need to talk with someone I don’t want to do that,’ then this film has seen all the success it needed,” said Lacer. “It only takes one person to make it a success.”
While this weekend’s premiere marked the first public screening of the movie, Dickey said “Fighting the Fire” has already won about 20 awards at festivals including recognitions for best actor, actress and supporting team.
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