#brookelowery

The community of Sundance in a Mormon Park City was very different from what I am accustomed too in Home Sweet Home, Alabama. I learned many things about not only the city but about the state and there strict laws because of the Mormon control. Becca, told me that when she was in Salt Lake the Sunday before we got there that everything was closed because it was a holy day and as I met locals they talked about how there was no separation of church and state which made things difficult within the community. The people within Sundance were very chipper and even though it was freezing were thrilled to be in the snow. I met so many genuinely nice people that wanted to help me find my way to the next theatre or suggest a Sundance event I should try going to or even a movie that they recommended. I enjoyed the culture/community very much, I just wish they would have had sweet tea!

Common traits that I noticed while at Sundance within each film was the style and variety. Each film was very ‘raw’ and deep from an art stance. There were several different genres and styles of shooting and story lines but they were all based on real issues, true issues that happen. Majority of films I saw had a true meaning about the new generations and the future or even past issues that are somewhat unresolved and filmmakers would like to draw more attention too. Such as Crown Heights about the justice system and its cruelty, Burning Sand about fraternity hazing which as always been an issue. Even My Happy Family, which was a world dramatic (in a different language), was about a family’s real issues within another country and how they try to overcome that.   

Got a free ticket from a stranger to patti cake$ and a ghost story!

Underground music

The people that attend sundance vary! I have met producers, directors, production assistants, and just film watchers. By looking at the badges of the people that attend help figure out how 'important' they are. Some people are very nice and eager to talk and some are not. We were on the bus and saw that the person sitting beside us was the DP of a city of ghosts and tried to make conversation with him but he immediately hid his badge and acted very standoff-ish! So there very different types of people that attend sundance.

Technology at Sundance is very advanced. When getting people into the theater are very quick with scanning the tickets and getting them. Especially with all the virtually reality tents. Also the app is very efficient with so many people using it at one time. Technology is used all throughout the festival. The theaters alone are very original but the sound and quality is very nice.

I knew very little about Patti Cake$ and was not going to go to the screening. Then I heard the reviews were better than expected and many people I have talked with. I waitlisted for the film and got 52 and it was at the Library hotel, so it was less likely that I would be able to attend. Then luckily a man right outside the waitlist line, 30 minutes before the screening, gave me a ticket. I got to go in and watch the more whereas I would not have been able to because they only let 20 people from the waitlist in. Then when I was sitting in the theatre I had no clue what the movie was about! I thought the main character was a boy then it turned out to be a girl... lol