Sonic Cinema at Sundance 2022: What to See, Where to See It : Sonic Cinema

Sonic Cinema at Sundance 2022: What to See, Where to See It

Posted by Brian Skutle Posted on Jan - 16 - 2022 0 Comment

When you begin to cover film festivals as a critic, or attend them as a fan, one of the big ones that you want to make the pilgrimage to is the Sundance Film Festival. The first major film festival of the year out of the gate, the tone for what’s to come in the movie year is set almost immediately, as major filmmakers and surprise hits with festival attendees reveal themselves. Last year, Sundance went virtual, and so, that was an opportunity for critics all over the world to cover this festival, all the while not leaving their homes. It was a grueling week in front of the computer screen, but one I will never forget. You can take a look at my coverage here.

This year, screenings were originally to return to Park City, but the rise of Omicron forced another pivot to their online platform. The necessary change was not without controversy, but it was gutting to those who had planned to attend in person. I’m excited about the prospect of covering the festival online again, however, this time with eleven days to watch films as opposed to last year’s seven. A week virtually glued to my computer screen was kind of crazy. Having time to breathe will be nice.

As I was looking at my schedule, and deciding which movies I would watch this year, the extra four days really snapped things into focus as to how much more time I might have this year. Granted, I have 25 slots for films between Premieres and Second Screenings that will all get utilized, but I don’t have any four-films-a-day days as of now. And since some of those might be able to be more spread out, maybe I’ll be able to relax some. Hopefully, the computer issues that hampered the last part of the festival don’t exist this year.

There are two films from the fest that I’ve already seen, and if you have the chance to watch them, I’ll be fascinated by what you think. Screening at 10:45pm EST on Opening Night (January 20) is Joachim Trier’s terrific “The Worst Person in the World”, about a woman (played by the phenomenal Renate Reinsve, who won Best Actress at Cannes for her performance) trying to sort out her life. (Second screenings are available at 10am EST on January 22.) Next up is “The Mission”, a documentary about four Mormon missionaries in Finland. That one screens at 4pm EST on January 24, and has second screenings at 10am EST on January 26. Both of those reviews will be available later.

What to See, How to See It
With this section, I’m going to be focusing on what I will be watching throughout the fest. If you are a reader who is going to the festival, I not only envy you, but will give you the info for both the in-person and online premieres; the rest can be found at the program here. Let’s get to it.

=“Tantura”– Director Alon Schwarz’s documentary looks at the Isreali-Palestinian conflict from the perspective of a controversial massacre that allegedly occurred in the titular village in 1948. The premiere screening is on Thursday, January 20 at 9pm EST, with the second screening on Saturday, January 22 at 10am EST.

=“After Yang”– A man with an android wants to get it repaired quickly. On the way, he explores his humanity by being faced with the fact that Yang has recorded memories. This intriguing sci-fi drama premieres at 1:45pm EST on January 21, with the second screening window on January 23 at 10am EST.

=“Master”– “At an elite New England university built on the site of a Salem-era gallows hill, three women strive to find their place.” I’m fine with this premise. Having Regina Hall as a dean is sealing the deal for me. This thriller premieres at 8:30pm EST on January 21, with the second screening on January 23 at 10am EST.

=“Good Luck to You, Leo Grande”– Emma Thompson plays a retired schoolteacher who is fairly certain she’s never had a good sexual experience. She invited a sex worker to a hotel room, and an unexpected connection occurs. This comedy premieres at 5pm on January 22, with the second screening on January 24 at 10am EST.

=“Resurrection”– Rebecca Hall stars as a single parent with a busy career who seems to have it together before an unwelcome visitor (Tim Roth) comes back into her life. The movie sounds like an intriguing blend of horror and drama, and will premiere on January 22 at 10pm EST, with the second screening at 10am EST on January 24.

=“Neptune Frost”– This is an Afrofuturist drama which explores the ways African mining makes up the digital network that helps allow you to read this blog. A collaboration between Anisia Uzeyman and Saul Williams, the film will have its premiere online at 2:30pm EST on January 23, with the second screening on January 25 at 10am EST.

=“God’s Country”– I’m very intrigued by this film starring Thandiwe Newton as a woman trying to make her way through personal emotional minefields and political ones at work. The film will premiere online at 11pm EST on January 23, with the second screening at 10am EST on January 25.

=“Palm Trees and Power Lines”– “Increasingly dissociated from lazy, drunken hangouts and perfunctory hookups with her immature peers, bored, aimless 17-year-old Lea is intrigued by older-man Tom after he rescues her following a reluctant dine-and-dash at a local diner.” This drama intrigued me when I first read about it, and I’m looking forward to watching it at 2pm EST on January 24, with second screenings available on January 26 at 10am EST.

=“blood”– A widow tries to put her life together with a move to Japan, where an old friend helps with the transition. This film seems to be right up my alley, and I wonder if it’ll be a hit with Sundance. It premieres at 5pm EST on January 24, with the second screening wind starting at 10am EST on January 26.

=“Just Another Girl on the I.R.T.”– A film from the iconic 1992 Sundance lineup, Leslie Harris’s drama- newly restored- about a Black girl getting ready to move away from high school, and into the real world, will be screening at 10:30pm EST on January 24, with second screening availability at 10am EST on January 26.

In addition to the above premieres, I will be taking in the following films as Second Screenings, with two more possibilities to be determined throughout the festival:

=“Fire of Love”– A documentary about a couple whom loved each other, and loved studying volcanoes. This film debuts on Thursday, January 20 at 7:30pm EST. Second screenings begin on January 22 at 10am EST.

=“The Princess”– A biographical film about Princess Diana. The Premiere screening is at 8:30pm EST on January 20, with second screenings on January 22 at 10am EST.

=“Emergency”– Two Black best friends have a difficult night ahead of them when they find a passed out white woman at their home. The directing is adapting an earlier short film of his, and I’m curious to see how it plays. The premiere is on Thursday, January 20 at 11pm EST online, with its second screening on January 22 at 10am EST.

=“Living”– Director Oliver Hermanus reimagines Kurosawa’s “Ikiru” with Bill Nighy sounds delightful. It debuts at 2pm EST on January 21, with second screenings on January 23 at 10am EST.

=“Speak No Evil”– A Dutch family and a Danish family connect on a vacation. When they reconnect away from vacation, however, horror is in the offering. This thriller debuts at 1:55am EST on January 22, with second screenings starting on January 23 at 10am EST.

=“Descendant”– This documentary looks at the legacy of the last slave trade ship on the community of Mobile, Alabama. It debuts at 1:30pm EST on January 22, with second screenings on January 24 at 10am EST.

=“Dual”– A dark comedy about a woman diagnosed with a terminal illness (Karen Gillan), and what happens when she clones herself. The premiere is at 8pm EST on January 22, with second screenings on January 24 at 10am EST.

=“You Won’t Be Alone”– Witchcraft and isolated mountain areas in the 19th Century. You don’t have to tell me twice. Starring Noomi Rapace (“Lamb”), this horror thriller will debut on January 22 at 10:45pm EST, with the second screening at 10am EST on January 24.

=“Happening”– A university student in 1963 is devastated when she learns she’s pregnant. When the legal system makes termination a challenge, she must figure out what she’s going to do with her life. The film debuts at 11pm EST on January 22, with second screenings on January 24 at 10am EST.

=“Babysitter”– Catherine Leger adapts her own play into a comedy about sexuality and misogyny. I’ll be curious the reaction to this one. It premieres at 11:30pm EST on January 22, with second screenings starting at 10am EST on January 24.

=“Aftershock”– This documentary looks at the epidemic of preventable childbirth deaths among Black women. It premieres at 5:45pm EST on January 23, with the second screening starting at 10am on January 25.

=“Alice”– Southern Gothic and Blacksploitation storytelling collide in this story about liberation in Georgia starring Keke Palmer, Johnny Lee Miller and Common. It debuts at 8pm EST on January 23, with the second screening window at 10am EST on January 25.

=“Phoenix Rising”– Amy Berg returns to Sundance to tell Evan Rachel Wood’s story of abuse in her own words. A late addition to the program, it debuts at 9:45pm EST on Janurary 23, with second screenings at 10am EST on January 25.

There is more, of course, and I might get to some of them during the festival. If not, we’ll see what other film festivals bring.