Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Review: Iron Butterflies
As we approach the first anniversary of the full Russian invasion of Ukraine, it’s easy to forget that this war didn’t start in 2022. Indeed, the (recent) troubles with Russia can be traced back to the Maiden in 2013, which preceded Putin’s annexation of Crimea the following year. It was in the same year that …
Sundance Review: Slow
Cinema reflects the age, society and country it’s made in. For example, 1950s Hollywood portrayed romance as straightforward love between a man and a woman. They meet, get to know each other and soon Cupid’s arrow does its job. Wedding bells and a family follows, in that order. Obviously, this never really represented real life, …
Sundance Review: When It Melts
Trauma is a terrible thing. It’s not something you can outrun or escape from. It doesn’t matter how many years you bottle it up inside, it will suddenly resurface when you least expect it. You can close yourself off from the world, lock your emotions away, but unless you face up to it you will …
Sundance Review: The Cow Who Sang A Song Into The Future
Considering how much evolution we’ve gone through to get where we are today, it’s more than a little amusing that, as a species, we’re often resistant to change. So, when we’re faced with a major upheaval or challenge, we’re likely to bury our heads in the sand and hope it simply goes away of its …
Sundance Review: Girl Picture
Growing up has perhaps never been more difficult than it is today. While, in theory, young people have never had so much opportunity and connectivity, this all comes at a price. The same technological advances that allow myriad possibilities opens up a Pandora’s Box of dangers. Forced to live in the moment, any error of …
Sundance Review: The Mission
The restorationist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints considers itself to be the modern embodiment of the church founded by Jesus Christ. Based in Salt Lake City and formed by Joseph Smith in the early nineteenth century, it has become one of the biggest denominations in the world. All young Mormon men are expected …
Sundance Review: Fire of Love
As strange as it may seem, we’re only here today because of volcanoes. The Earth has been, and continues to be, sculpted and shaped by these mighty powerhouses. They can create life and destroy it, providing the building blocks from which flora, fauna and animals emerged. Present on every continent, over 1500 of them are …
Sundance Review: I Didn’t See You There
It’s impossible to appreciate the challenges being in a wheelchair presents to carrying-out everyday tasks, let alone anything a little more ambitious. The things those of us who are able-bodied take for granted can become some kind of elaborate obstacle course. It’s still scandalous that in 2022 there are so many places and spaces which …
Sundance Review: Happening
As the US Supreme Court continues to push back women’s rights in Texas by decades, it’s worth remembering that abortion has only been legal in the country for less than fifty years. When it comes to a woman’s right to choose, Europe has been little better and often much worse. In France, it became legal …
Sundance Review: Dual
I think everyone is afraid, at one time or another, of becoming terminally ill. It’s only natural to fear for the worst every time you’re waiting for results from medical tests. As a species, we spend far too much time considering our own mortality. Running disaster scenarios through our heads. It’s one area where the …