SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
Our recent escape from day-to-day winter blues took us to an event I have always wanted to attend, the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, or “Sundance 11” as the regulars referred to it. It was a fascinating conglomeration of films, food, people and outdoor adventure. We will definitely return, and I highly recommend it to videophiles and skiers alike. Following you will find reviews of some of the many great films at Sundance. If you have comments, drop me a line, we'd love to hear all points of view.
Anticipation was high the first day. The streets of Park City teemed with Sundance banners flapping in the brisk wind, people on cell phones wearing Ugg boots, film crews and production companies setting up, water bottles and Brita water stations all over the place, and various street performers. (The water bottles were a nice touch, and I understand were instituted by the Festival at Mr. Redford's request to help reduce plastic bottle waste.)
The crowd cheered as Sundance patriarch Robert Redford took the stage the first evening to open the premiere of Sing Your Song. Redford spoke about how the Sundance Film Festival and the movie are on parallel paths, trying to make the world a better place and draw attention to those in need. Sing Your Song was an absolutely beautiful film with a very smooth pace and unbelievable footage of Belafonte’s rise to stardom in television and movies, his meetings with MLK and Nelson Mandela, and his work on Aid to Africa, all laying out Belafonte’s journey as a showman and an activist. But what really struck me is Harry’s amazing eloquence, his ability, both in the film and after at the Q&A, to give the most heartfelt impromptu speeches, ones that make you want to drop everything and join him in his crusades to fix all that is wrong in this world. Director Susanne Rostock and Producer Michael Cohl got the tone just right.
Belafonte has been at the forefront of a plethora of social justice issues, working in the civil rights movement, working to end famine in Africa by mobilizing celebrities for “We are the World,” and most recently, working to solve the puzzle of youth in prison. Sing Your Song documents his work, and it was a treat to see it at Sundance with so many other movie enthusiasts. The only thing that could have made the movie better, I believe, was if we had gotten to see more of the inner workings of how Belafonte achieved such success for social justice.
During her Sundance Director's talk on the Sundance app, the film's Director, Susanne Rostock said that Harry did the movie to call attention to all the social justice work that still needs to be done. It would have been powerful ending if the film included a specific call-to-action, or if Harry had spoken during the Q&A about how viewers could get involved. (As an actress in the Sing Your Song said, “Give us an assignment!”)
After the film, 1300 people sat on the edge of their seats as Harry took the stage for Q&A with an introduction by John Cooper, Director of Sundance Film Festival. Although the majority of the Q&A was held hostage by some rambling young man with a camcorder, it was quite apparent that the whole audience hung on Mr. Belafonte's every word. Whatever the film’s intentions, Harry Belafonte’s journey is inspirational.
Sing Your Song, presented at Sundance, 1/20/11, Documentary
Directed by Susanne Rostock
Produced by Michael Cohl, Gina Belafonte, and others
