What We Loved About Sundance

Written by Katerina Plescia

Still from The Janes courtesy of Sundance Institute

After their first virtual viewing experience, the 45th annual Sundance Film Festival commenced on January 20, 2022, in a hybrid form. Over the eleven-day celebration, artists presented their films through various online programs. 

With the looming pressures of the Omicron variant and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Sundance artists persevered to uphold the importance of gathering as a community. Regardless of the circumstances, the Sundance Film Festival reminded audiences that in these tough times, viewers should continue to come together and celebrate what the artists have to offer. 

The Festival brought out a conglomeration of fantastic and culturally significant films. Each submission offered a glance into a variety of social and cultural lifestyles. 

Filmmakers Tia Lessen and Emma Pildes premiered their documentary, The Janes, at the festival, enthralling audiences with a story of women who organized nearly 11,000 affordable illegal abortions in Chicago, IL prior to the passage of Roe v. Wade. While the documentary was impressive and educational for those unfamiliar with the situation, the film did not add anything new to the conversation. The revolution was primarily set in the late 1960s, however, bringing the story into the modern era would have granted it the potential missing element. 

The film Midwives centered around the relationship between Muslims and Buddhists in Myanmar. Setting aside military differences, a Buddhist woman, Hla, and Nyo Nyo, a Muslim woman, worked together to treat Muslim patients. Sundance newcomer Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing’s feature debut was incredibly insightful, providing audiences with a close-up glance into the relations between Muslim Rohingya of Myanmar and Buddhists of Myanmar. 

Still from Midwives courtesy of Sundance Institute

Reid Davenport’s experimental documentary, I Didn’t See You There, approached the viewpoint of a wheelchair user from a new perspective. Although Davenport is never seen on the big screen, the film consists of hand-held point-of-view shots, placing audience members in the shoes of a wheelchair user in America.

The 2022 celebration of the Sundance Film Festival lifted the spirits of community members and continued to spread their message of support to independent artists. The festival was packed with a total of 85 features, 59 short films, and much more. Filled with enlightening interviews, thoughtful conversations, and groundbreaking films, the Sundance Film Festival of 2022 has us on the edge of our seats waiting for next year.

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Katerina is a junior at Pace University in Pleasantville, NY. After graduation, she aspires to work as an entertainment journalist, centering her writing around music, film, and the arts. She grew up in Bethel, NY and is a dog mom to a Pitbull rescue, Maddie. Find more of her work on her website or Instagram.