"The Lake," directed by Abby Ellis, premiered Jan. 22. The film follows two scientists as they race against the clock to save the Great Salt Lake — and their home — from environmental catastrophe.
BYU professor Ben Abbott is one of the documentary's main subjects. For him, this film was more than a passion project — it was a call to action.
“When I publish a scientific paper about Utah Lake, three people read it. This film is going to reach thousands, and hopefully hundreds of thousands of people," Abbott said.
Shifting from academic research to film, Abbott says science alone is not enough to create change.
“Should we keep researching? Absolutely. But actually focusing on the people side of things — the culture, art and film — is what we need to do a lot more of," he said.
Scientist Bonnie Baxter shared a similar experience, adjusting to a much broader audience.
“It’s been a little crazy, honestly. I’m used to talking to scientists," she said.
But Baxter said she hopes the film turns awareness into action. She emphasized it is not too late for Utahns to make a difference.
“I really hope that people take that away. We’re really close to the edge, but we can still save it. And that’s the message that I want people to take," Baxter said.
Director Abby Ellis said premiering the film at this year's Sundance added urgency and meaning to the project.
“I mean, we would have loved to spend two more years on this, and I think that could have been amazing," Ellis said. "But I really wanted to meet this deadline because there’s no better premiere than Sundance, and there’s no more meaningful Sundance than the last one.”
Screenings for the film will continue at the Sundance Film Festival until Feb. 1.
With a topic that hits so close to home, directors and people involved in the film hope it generates attention to this local issue.