Sundance Films for political junkies, activists, progressives and more
Sundance is finally in full swing both here in Salt Lake City and in Park City. I try to see at least two screenings -- at $10 per ticket on a tight budget AND a very busy life as a mom, employee, activist and (of course) blogger, it's difficult to justify more than that.
New this year, Salt Lake has it's own Festival Cafe: At Panache, Wells Fargo Building (299 S. Main Street, second floor). The cafe is open weekends from 11 am to 10 pm and on weekdays from 4 to 10 pm. Cafe is open to credential and ticket holders.
Looking through my Sundance Film Guide I noticed a variety of films that would appeal to those of us who are interested in a lot of political and progressive topics. I thought it might be fun to profile a few of the films here.
I discovered that for me the best way to Sundance is to do the "Wait List" method, at least in Salt Lake City where the screenings aren't as full. Buying tickets ahead of time can be an exercise in frustration -- most screenings sold out, long lines. And I don't have the kind of money it would take for an all access pass (though it is my fantasy to have one, one of these years).
With the Wait List method, the guide recommends that you show up 1 hour or more before the show to get a numbered card that they give out 1 hr before. You can then wander off for 1/2 hour or so and then line back up in order. After all the ticket holders and access pass folks have been seated, they will then fill up the theatre with those in the wait list -- you don't pay unless they are going to seat you. I usually show up 1 1/2 hours before so that I have a good spot in line. The few years I've been doing this, I've been seated every time, even when I was further back in line. Last year I was doubly fortunate. One screening I attended I was near the front and some friends of mine was first in line. The filmmaker for that particular film showed up with complimentary filmmaker passes and handed them out to my friends and we all got in free. The second screening I attended I was first in line with my daughter and someone had two passes they couldn't use and handed them to us. I almost hate to relate those stories because I'm creating some competition for myself for those first spots in line . . .
I'm going to only include partial info from the film guide. You can read more at the Sundance Website. I will also include my recommended wait list time, but you should be fine for most films if you arrive 1 hour prior to the screening. Dress warmly, most wait list lines are outside. Bring a book or just be prepared to meet other film fans while in line.
Sundance Saturday in Salt Lake City (Jan. 21) Film tags ~activism, social justice, equlity, war in Iraq, immigration, social movement~
Wrestling with Angels: Playwright Tony Kushner {Spectrum}, Broadway Theatre (300 S. just east of State Street), 12:45 (my wait list recom. 11:00-11:15)
From the film guide: "One of our greatest living playwrights, Pulitzer and Tony Award -winner Tony Kushner (Angels in America) is a consummate artist and indomitable political activist committed to equality and social justice. A Jewish homosexual raised in the heart of the Deep South, Kushner has become a compassionate voice for outsiders in a climate of repression and censorship. Wrestling with Angels covers three years of Kushner's life, from 9/11 to the 2004 presidential election, capturing the fierce moral responsibility that pervades this passionate artist's work." - David Courier
The Ground Truth: After the Killing Ends {Documentary}, Broadway Theatre (300 S. just east of State Street) 4:30 p.m. (my wait list recom. 2:45-3:00)
From the film guide: "The military has long realized that war is fought on many fronts; the battle at home -- getting the media to represent the war as a battle between clearly identifiable sides and include a transparent understanding of the mission -- is as essential to vistory as actions ont he battlefield. This, Patricia Foulkrod's resonant examination of the war in Iraq is both a timely and welcome contrast that offsets the omnipresent flag-waving portraits of heroism and glosry that have so dominated recent war reportage. Even more critically, The Ground Truth: After the Killing Ends doesn't simply inquire into policies about Iraq, but also scrutinizes effects of modern warfare, especially on its combatants." - Geoffry Gilmore
La Tragedia de Macario {Spectrum}, Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center (138 W. 300 S.) 3:30 (my wait list recom. 1:45-2:00)
From the film guide: "When his native town of Sabinas Hidalgo can no longer provide much more than nightly beans and tortillas, Mexican peasant worker Macario finds himself drawn uncontrollably to thoughts of crossing the border to find work and a more dignified life for his wife. When his struggles worsen, he can no longer wait, so Macario and his best friend set out on the dangerous journey north to Estados Unidos, guided by faith, determination, and a watchful holy eye." - Joseph Beyer [note: in Spanish with English Subtitles]
American Hardcore {Park City at Midnight}, Broadway Theatre (300 S. just east of State Street), 7:30 pm (my wait list recom. 5:45 - 6:00)
From the film guide: "Generally unheralded at the time, the early 80s hardcore punk rock scene gave birth to much of the pop rock music and culture that followed. There would be no Nirvana, Beastie Boys, or Red Hot Chili Peppers were it not for the hardcore pioneers such as Black Flag, Bad Brains, and Minor Threat. Hardcore was more than music; it was a social movement created by Reagan-era misfit kids. The participants constituted a tribe unto themselves -- some found a voice, others escaped in the hard-edged music; some sought a better world, others were just angry and wanted to raise hell. American Hardcore traces this lost subculture from its early roots to its extinction." - Trevor Groth
New this year, Salt Lake has it's own Festival Cafe: At Panache, Wells Fargo Building (299 S. Main Street, second floor). The cafe is open weekends from 11 am to 10 pm and on weekdays from 4 to 10 pm. Cafe is open to credential and ticket holders.
Looking through my Sundance Film Guide I noticed a variety of films that would appeal to those of us who are interested in a lot of political and progressive topics. I thought it might be fun to profile a few of the films here.
I discovered that for me the best way to Sundance is to do the "Wait List" method, at least in Salt Lake City where the screenings aren't as full. Buying tickets ahead of time can be an exercise in frustration -- most screenings sold out, long lines. And I don't have the kind of money it would take for an all access pass (though it is my fantasy to have one, one of these years).
With the Wait List method, the guide recommends that you show up 1 hour or more before the show to get a numbered card that they give out 1 hr before. You can then wander off for 1/2 hour or so and then line back up in order. After all the ticket holders and access pass folks have been seated, they will then fill up the theatre with those in the wait list -- you don't pay unless they are going to seat you. I usually show up 1 1/2 hours before so that I have a good spot in line. The few years I've been doing this, I've been seated every time, even when I was further back in line. Last year I was doubly fortunate. One screening I attended I was near the front and some friends of mine was first in line. The filmmaker for that particular film showed up with complimentary filmmaker passes and handed them out to my friends and we all got in free. The second screening I attended I was first in line with my daughter and someone had two passes they couldn't use and handed them to us. I almost hate to relate those stories because I'm creating some competition for myself for those first spots in line . . .
I'm going to only include partial info from the film guide. You can read more at the Sundance Website. I will also include my recommended wait list time, but you should be fine for most films if you arrive 1 hour prior to the screening. Dress warmly, most wait list lines are outside. Bring a book or just be prepared to meet other film fans while in line.
Sundance Saturday in Salt Lake City (Jan. 21) Film tags ~activism, social justice, equlity, war in Iraq, immigration, social movement~
Wrestling with Angels: Playwright Tony Kushner {Spectrum}, Broadway Theatre (300 S. just east of State Street), 12:45 (my wait list recom. 11:00-11:15)
From the film guide: "One of our greatest living playwrights, Pulitzer and Tony Award -winner Tony Kushner (Angels in America) is a consummate artist and indomitable political activist committed to equality and social justice. A Jewish homosexual raised in the heart of the Deep South, Kushner has become a compassionate voice for outsiders in a climate of repression and censorship. Wrestling with Angels covers three years of Kushner's life, from 9/11 to the 2004 presidential election, capturing the fierce moral responsibility that pervades this passionate artist's work." - David Courier
The Ground Truth: After the Killing Ends {Documentary}, Broadway Theatre (300 S. just east of State Street) 4:30 p.m. (my wait list recom. 2:45-3:00)
From the film guide: "The military has long realized that war is fought on many fronts; the battle at home -- getting the media to represent the war as a battle between clearly identifiable sides and include a transparent understanding of the mission -- is as essential to vistory as actions ont he battlefield. This, Patricia Foulkrod's resonant examination of the war in Iraq is both a timely and welcome contrast that offsets the omnipresent flag-waving portraits of heroism and glosry that have so dominated recent war reportage. Even more critically, The Ground Truth: After the Killing Ends doesn't simply inquire into policies about Iraq, but also scrutinizes effects of modern warfare, especially on its combatants." - Geoffry Gilmore
La Tragedia de Macario {Spectrum}, Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center (138 W. 300 S.) 3:30 (my wait list recom. 1:45-2:00)
From the film guide: "When his native town of Sabinas Hidalgo can no longer provide much more than nightly beans and tortillas, Mexican peasant worker Macario finds himself drawn uncontrollably to thoughts of crossing the border to find work and a more dignified life for his wife. When his struggles worsen, he can no longer wait, so Macario and his best friend set out on the dangerous journey north to Estados Unidos, guided by faith, determination, and a watchful holy eye." - Joseph Beyer [note: in Spanish with English Subtitles]
American Hardcore {Park City at Midnight}, Broadway Theatre (300 S. just east of State Street), 7:30 pm (my wait list recom. 5:45 - 6:00)
From the film guide: "Generally unheralded at the time, the early 80s hardcore punk rock scene gave birth to much of the pop rock music and culture that followed. There would be no Nirvana, Beastie Boys, or Red Hot Chili Peppers were it not for the hardcore pioneers such as Black Flag, Bad Brains, and Minor Threat. Hardcore was more than music; it was a social movement created by Reagan-era misfit kids. The participants constituted a tribe unto themselves -- some found a voice, others escaped in the hard-edged music; some sought a better world, others were just angry and wanted to raise hell. American Hardcore traces this lost subculture from its early roots to its extinction." - Trevor Groth