Sundance Film Festival 40 addresses violence against women and workers’ struggle (festival website)

The activities of the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival began on January 18, and will continue until the 28th of the same month. It is considered the largest private independent film festival in the United States of America, and is held in Park City, Utah, USA.

The opening witnessed the presence of a large number of film makers in the world, including director Christopher Nolan, director Darren Aronofsky, Mexican actress Melissa Barrera, American actor and producer Robert Downey Jr., American actress Kristen Stewart, American actress and photographer Alexandra Hudson, Jodie Foster, Jesse Eisenberg, Dominic Thorne. Jennifer Grey, Normani Cordi, David Alan Grier, Tommy Dewey.

Shocking Austrian film

On the first day of the festival, the Austrian film “Veni Vidi Vici” was shown, directed by Daniel Huesel and Julia Nyman. The film follows the killing of innocent children through the Maynard family, whose children live a life that seems ideal, but it is a harsh life, as the patriarch of the family By brutally shooting innocent citizens and killing children, it becomes clear during the events that the family has strong powers that prevent them from facing consequences from the police and the government.

A shocking Austrian film on the first day of the festival (Variety)

During the press conference for the film, director Huysel confirmed that the character of the hero in the film is exciting and attractive, and we can meet someone like her in reality, and see her committing crimes and escaping punishment. Huysel added that he was inspired by the film that he has been preparing for 10 years from reality, through a person who was a member In the management of a bank, but he killed with strange ease, and escaped punishment.

The most prominent participating films

Nearly 90 films were selected in the festival's program this year in the festival's various sections for competition. They vary between drama, documentary, long, and short, and these films address a number of diverse issues.

The documentary film "Union" monitors the labor movement's struggle against Amazon.

The film, directed by Stephen Mining and Brett Storey, is having its world premiere at Sundance, and stars Chris Smalls, president and founder of the union at Amazon since 2021, known for his role in leading the Amazon workers' organization.

The two creators document a labor standoff in Staten Island, New York, with one of the largest and most powerful corporations in the world, as workers stood up to unfair management practices.

The film presents the stories of a number of workers who are fighting for their rights.

Director Yance Ford returns to Sundance after his film “Strong Island,” which he participated in in 2017, and this year he participates with his documentary film “Power,” in which he documents the history of the corrupt side of the American police, since the 18th century and the border militias. Which paved the way for an extremely violent police state, and the threats to the social order as the police expanded over hundreds of years using “force.”

The documentary "War Game", directed by Tony Gerber and Jesse Moss, follows the involvement of US intelligence officers with some politicians in a game in which they imagine that their administration is exposed to a coup following a presidential election.

500 teenage girls

In the documentary Girls State 500, directors Amanda McBain and Jessie Moss chronicle the lives of a group of teenage girls from across Missouri as they come together for a week in a cutting-edge democracy laboratory, where they organize a Supreme Court to hear the most controversial cases.

Another documentary that explores an important issue, which is sexual assault, is the film “Black Box Diaries,” presented by Japanese journalist Shiori Ito. The work documents her memoirs about her accusation of the director of a television channel of raping her, and also records her struggle in cases of violence against women.

Participating among the documentaries at Sundance is the film “Luther: Never Too Much,” which documents the life of American singer and songwriter Luther Vandross. The film follows Vandross’s personal journey, his artistic style, his relationships with his family and friends, and his collaboration with a number of artists such as Whitney. Houston, Beyoncé and Mariah Carey.

Escape

Among the feature films participating in the 40th edition of Sundance is “The Outrun,” directed by Nora Fingscheit. The film stars Saoirse Ronan, who was nominated for an Oscar four times. The film is based on the memoirs of journalist Amy Liptrot, who turned into an author. The film monitors the suffering of a young woman. With addiction to alcohol and drugs, her decision to leave the rehabilitation center and her departure from London to the Orkney Islands in an attempt to put her scattered life back together.

The film “Union” of workers’ struggle against arbitrary management in the world’s largest companies (IMDB)

Through a surprising post-apocalyptic love story between a smart buoy and a satellite, “Love Me” is directed by Sam and Andrew Zucchero, and stars Steven Yeun and Kristen Stewart.

Lucy Liu and Julia Fox co-star in the film "Presence", which is participating in the festival. The film, directed by Steven Soderbergh, revolves around a type of ghost that inhabits a house in a suburb, and the effect that has on the residents of the family that lives in the house.

Source: Al Jazeera + agencies