After the LA fires, the sounds that felt like home | Zacharie Sergenian | TEDxManhattanBeach

Quick Overview

Zacharie Sergenian recounts the immediate aftermath of the Woolsey Fire that destroyed their neighborhood, detailing the emotional and practical chaos, including the pervasive smell of ash, the need for evacuation, and the subsequent isolation, which ultimately led them to pursue journalism after realizing the ongoing impact on the community, contrasting the silence of the destroyed area with the ongoing stories needing to be told.

Key Points: The first time Zacharie cried after the Palos Verdes fires was due to the smell of ash in the air, a constant reminder of the destruction. Zacharie, their friends Sam and Emily, evacuated their home and spent time at an ice cream shop, later realizing the brilliant idea to take friends to the Pacific Palisades. Six months after the fire, Zacharie's home area was cleared of ash, but the neighborhood was visibly different, with only about half the houses repopulated. The enduring sound of silence—the absence of neighbors, dogs barking, and leaf blowers—highlighted the loss of community life. Zacharie found purpose by channeling their experience into storytelling, enrolling in journalism classes at USC Annenberg to report on events affecting their community. The music piece played during the talk, a recording of their friend Emily playing piano in the family room, served as a powerful reminder of the life that once filled the space. Zacharie acknowledged that the devastation from the fires continues to impact the community, noting that many people are still displaced and unable to return to their childhood homes.

Context: This video features a TEDxManhattanBeach interview between Zacharie Sergenian and American immersive journalist and documentary filmmaker Nonny de la Peña. Zacharie shares a deeply personal narrative about surviving the Woolsey Fire in the Palos Verdes area, focusing on the emotional toll, the immediate sensory experiences like the smell of ash, and the long-term effects of displacement and community loss. The interview explores how this traumatic experience directed Zacharie toward a career in journalism.