Sundance Film Festival offers something for everyone

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While the Sundance Film Festival offers some of the best and most anticipated films of the year, it’s not recommended to venture into any film and hope for the wholesomeness found in the typical BYU stash of Disney-approved movies.

Films premiered at Sundance are known for pushing boundaries and experimenting with the comfort level of audiences. This, however, does not mean the festival should be seen as the devil’s playground.

The Sundance Institute provides synopses of premiering films through their Online Film Guide and Megan Leiker, manager of Utah Community Programs for the Sundance Institute, has compiled summaries of the films she deemed fit for a “Cultivating Audiences at a Young Age” list. Here’s a summarized version of the list, highlighting films according to interest.

For the sports fanatic: “The Other Dream Team”

The U.S. Olympic basketball team — aka the Dream Team –w on the gold medal at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, but they weren’t the only team defeating long-time opponents. That same year the newly independent nation of Lithuania played the underdog, but came out winning the bronze medal and defeating Russia, their prior oppressor.

The film provides classic inspirational sports movie feelings as it showcases players not only rising as some of the best players in the ’92 Olympic Games, but also as they overcome the grasp of communism and establish pride and patriotism in their newly independent country.

For the music lover: “Under African Skies”

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This year celebrates the 25th anniversary of Paul Simon's "Graceland," an album that united cultures through music. However, the album did not come without controversy. Simon was accused of violating the cultural boycott of South Africa instituted by the United Nations in an attempt to end apartheid. "Under African skies" explores both sides of the story, exposing the opinions of anti-apartheid activists as well as music superstars Quincy Jones, Harry Belafonte, Paul McCartney and David Byrne.
This year celebrates the 25th anniversary of Paul Simon’s “Graceland,” an album that united cultures through music. However, the album did not come without controversy. Simon was accused of violating the cultural boycott of South Africa instituted by the United Nations in an attempt to end apartheid.

The film explores both sides of the story, exposing the opinions of anti-apartheid activists as well as music superstars Quincy Jones, Harry Belafonte, Paul McCartney and David Byrne.

For the international: “5 Broken Cameras”

Emad Burnat bought his first camera in 2005 in an effort to preserve the memory of the birth of his fourth son, Gibreel. This camera, and the subsequent other four, tell a remarkable tale of Palestinian conflict. Burnat shares his story as a farmer from Bil’in, a village known for choosing nonviolent resistance when the Israeli army used its land as room for Jewish colonists.

With each broken camera Burnat persists in producing a first-hand experience of the well known controversy, creating a story which may help outsiders better understand the complex controversy.

For the environmentalist: “Chasing Ice”

James Balog’s story began when “National Geographic” asked, “How can one take a picture of climate change?” Ice was the answer, and it propelled Balog into what became the most well-read piece in the magazine in the last five years.

But Balog didn’t stop there. “Chasing Ice” is the documentary of Balog’s Extreme Ice Survey, which uses 30 cameras in three continents to display one of the most compelling visual evidences of Earth’s melting ice today.

For the historian: “ETHEL”

This documentary unearths archives of the family life of Ethel and Robert Kennedy. Releasing personal conversations and never-before-seen images, the film testifies of the love and integrity of Ethel Kennedy as a mother and wife. As the film displays Kennedy’s personal value system, the question of private family life and politically public life is explored.

To see the list in its entirety visit sundance.org.

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