Sundance 2014

Busy week. Sundance 2014 has started and between volunteering and trying to catch films, I’ve had little time to reflect. But, I am really happy to stay busy. A few early attempts at watching films in Park City taught me that you have to go WAY early to have a chance at getting into anything. Thus, we didn’t watch our first film till Saturday but it was a good one. Then, I basically worked Saturday night till Sunday night with a few hours of sleep in between. The bright side is that we got to see a few movies while volunteering (by “we” I mean Dave, Ash, Azzy, and I). The downside is I am exhausted. But a review of films I’ve seen so far:

E-Team: Great! This was about the emergency response team that goes all over the world and documents atrocities against humanity. I’ve always wanted to do something human rights related (hence my interest in global health) but this really shed light on the dangers and the emotional toll of doing something so frontline.

Love Child: OK. This was a film about how a Korean couple neglected their child because they were addicted to internet gaming. They were playing Prius online for 6 hours at a time while their baby starved to death at home. This was the first case in korea where internet addition was labeled as a disease so the couple got reduced sentences. But I was appalled by how reduced they were! The mother didn’t serve any time at all and the father only served a year. I walked away pretty disturbed.

White Shadow: Good. This was a pseudo documentary on the atrocities towards albino humans in Africa. I knew going in that this would be bloody because a lot of albinos have been killed in Africa under the belief that their limbs hold magical healing properties but the film really didn’t hold back. The senseless killing of people who lack melanin in their skin concerns me but the film had a very abject tone to it that did embody any hope for change so in the end, I felt it was just ok.

I Origin: So GOOD! I think this is my favorite so far. It was just a really well-done film looking at the religion and reincarnation in a romantic but also scientific way. The story is about a PhD student studying eye development who meets a girl that challenges his worldview. It was breathtaking.

Cooties: Yuck! This was supposed to be a zombie comedy but I HATE blood and gore so not up my alley. Dave loved it though so I’m glad we got to see something he really likes.

War Story: Horrible. Enough said

Private Violence: Ok. This was about domestic violence which is a very important issue. Specifically it shed light on why women go back to their abusers and why it is so hard for them to leave. However, I didn’t like the cinematography and the focus on just one hero on the fight against this issue.

Hits: Good. This was a funny portray of the ridiculous things social media deem popular

Land Ho!: Good. I really did like this one up till the ending because there really wasn’t much of an ending. I like that the film portrayed two raunchy old guys traveling in Iceland. I guess I want to be like them when I am old.

OK. This is it so far. We have one more volunteer shift and maybe 3 more movies left to watch and then the Best of Fest show.  I will be sad when this is over. I love sundance.