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Sometimes, the Sundance Film Festival mints new directors and stars. However, it can also be the necessary push to get the full attention of someone in the years before their breakthrough. Jonathan Majors is no stranger to the festival after earning raves for The Last Black Man in San Fransisco in 2019. The last few … Continue reading Sundance 2023: ‘Magazine Dream’ – The Year of Jonathan Majors Begins With an Imperfect Character Study
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Reflecting on our past life can yield troubling memories. However, those who suffered as children are unlikely to see their lives through a positive lens. Even when we try to overcome these obstacles, the world rarely lets us move on in productive ways. First-time director Veerle Baetens uses her debut When It Melts to showcase … Continue reading Sundance 2023: ‘When It Melts’ Challenges the Audience and Reflects on Trauma
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Almost one year ago, the world froze in fear. The war between the Ukraine and Russia drew the entire world’s attention, and questions about intervention swam through conversations. As Russian soldiers advanced into the former USSR nation, horrifying videos and images began leaking out of Ukraine. The battles were terrible enough, but the true horrors … Continue reading Sundance 2023: ’20 Days in Mariupol’ Shows the Horrors Experienced By Wartime Journalists
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The camera remains one of the most powerful tools of the 21st century. For centuries, the ability to capture an image has shaped or altered the course of history. Yet in 2023, we have more access to take and create videos than ever before. However, with cameras running at all hours, what is the purpose … Continue reading Sundance 2023: ‘Fantastic Machine’ Bluntly Reveals the Beauty and Ills of Video
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Handling the death of a loved one is tricky. However, when one member of the family is cognitively disabled, the process requires extra care. Throughout Take Me Home, a short playing at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, the two sisters seem very much at odds. However, with time and effort, each sister begins to find … Continue reading Sundance 2023 – Shorts: ‘Take Me Home’ is a Unique Depiction of Sisterhood
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Always one for a practical joke, Willie Nelson became a four-quadrant celebrity. While Nelson began his storied career in country music, his persona and optimism made him larger than life. He helped establish a subgenre of Country music (known as “Outlaw Country”) while providing mentorship to new and emerging artists. He became known for his … Continue reading Sundance 2023: ‘Willie Nelson & Family’ Is a Long Love Letter to the Legend
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Cancer wreaks havoc on the human body, but it’s toll on the mind can often be just as harmful. While the person fighting the disease struggles with their mortality, their friends and family must rely on faith or medicine to pull them through. Even when that’s the case, the danger is often too upsetting to … Continue reading Sundance 2023: ‘La Pecera (The Fishbowl)’ Rides the Wave of Isel Rodríguez’s Excellence
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For non-d/deaf audience members, we often take the presence of sound for granted. It is not until it is stripped away that we find our lives disoriented by its presence (or lack thereof). Yet as d/deaf and hard-of-hearing artists have grown their representation in the film and television world, an inclusive cinematic approach has spawned. … Continue reading Sundance 2023: ‘The Tuba Thieves’ Explores the Fallible Reliance on Sound
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In previous decades, popular characters accidentally took over the movies. Some of these films became legendary, like Ernest Scare Stupid or Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. Others disappeared from view, a fate that often befell the SNL movie. However, with the YouTube generation finding themselves with the sway to create content with high budgets, new sketch … Continue reading Sundance 2023: ‘Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls’ is Throwback Fun
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There’s room for experimentation on topics that are well-known to the masses. Sadly, the tragedy of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 qualifies as one of those events. After Klondike made waves at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, Iron Butterflies puts focus back on the topic. As the war in Ukraine rages on, documentarian Roman Liubyi asks … Continue reading Sundance 2023: ‘Iron Butterflies’ Confronts Disinformation in Tragedy
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Finding ourselves in unique settings can alter our understanding of self. Sometimes, the mere shift to another environment allows us to become different people. After all, society may define us one way, but a different culture and perspective may view us in a completely different light. While onboard a transatlantic cargo ship, Christopher lets his … Continue reading Sundance 2023 – Shorts: ‘Christopher at Sea’ Is a Stunning Visual Explosion
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Sometimes it’s odd when works of art feel as if they were made to co-exist. The 2022-2023 Oscar season featured continual discussions of Sarah Polley’s Women Talking, a film where women discussed the harms men do to them. While it was a fictional tale, the stories are too common to ignore. Meanwhile, thousands of miles … Continue reading Sundance 2023: ‘Smoke Sauna Sisterhood’ – The Women are Talking
