Sundance 2015

78 hours
12 movies
14 hours of sleep

Gorgeous weather and fantastic friends.
More celebrities than one could count but in the end, it's all about the movies.

Every year when I go to Sundance, people ask if I'm a fanatic of all things cinema. Until I discovered this festival, my choice of movies has always been no-brain-cells-required Hollywood romcom.  I hate psychological mindfucks, thrillers, special effects and violence.  And frankly, there is not much left at your local AMC.

Along the way I've discovered indie flicks at small cinemas and the International Latino Film Festival in the Bay Area that used to come every November. It exposed me to interesting movies where I got to learn a ton, see new landscapes and of course, listen to Spanish.

In the last six years, Sundance has become my obsession of sorts. Going to Park City and sucking in everything that I possibly can gets me enough to last all year. Are all movies great? Absolutely not. I've seen some doozies along the way (Frank, anyone? Wetlands? Oh my.) But with the usual selection of 118 movies I'm bound to walk away fulfilled and a bit more knowledgeable than when I walked in.

When choosing a movie, I tend to lean towards documentaries and this year was no different.  Out of the 12 movies that I saw, 9 were docs. There was plenty of fascinating material but I usually judge the wow factor on one thing: memorability. Will I be talking about this when I get home, will I remember this movie next year?

Sundance 2015 gave me one movie that made me sob, think, reflect and ponder over and over. "The Mask You Live In" is an in-depth look at what we expect of our boys. Do we tell them not to cry? Not to play like a girl? Permit them to show emotion? Encourage them to "be a man?" Turn the other way with violent videogames? The research filled movie follows kids from the sweet age of kindergarten all the way to lives gone wrong at San Quentin. The movie doesn't just  demonstrate the power of our words it makes us feel each one.

As a mom of a 5yo this movie touched me in ways I didn't anticipate.  As an ex-wife of a Russian (and when I type this I assume readers have some preconceived stereotypes of a Russian man) it is something that I struggle with all the time.

Long blond hair. Favorite color is pink. Cooking in his mini kitchen. Dancing is for girls. ChapStick is for girls. We should get her a princess toy because she is a girl.  Through my son I've heard it all. Can I fight these preconceived notions or let my kid be picked on? How do I not fall for this neverending bombardment of stereotypes? 

I have no answers to any of these questions but it's amazing what 90 minutes in a movie theater can do.

Sundance always brings incredible movies and something to think about.  I'm thankful for another thought provoking experience and can't wait for 2016. Lucky number seven.

In the meantime, I ordered Legos for Remi's friend. But damn it, they were pink.

The Mask You Live In - Trailer: http://youtu.be/hc45-ptHMxo