U.S. Documentary Competition | 2021 Sundance Film Festival Recap
/Frequently containing some of the most pleasant surprises of the festival, the U.S. Documentary category held to tradition for 2021 with several exciting new docs! There were a slew of high school-set docs, a few profiles of iconic figures, while many others films dealt with technology's progression into our daily lives. Check out our favorites!
Ailey
Alvin Ailey was a visionary artist who found salvation through dance. Told in his own words and through the creation of a dance inspired by his life, this immersive portrait follows a man who, when confronted by a world that refused to embrace him, determined to build one that would.
Director: Jamila Wignot
OUR RATINGS
Check out our discussion on AILEY on the Intercut Podcast!
All Light, Everywhere
An exploration of the shared histories of cameras, weapons, policing and justice. As surveillance technologies become a fixture in everyday life, the film interrogates the complexity of an objective point of view, probing the biases inherent in both human perception and the lens.
Director: Theo Anthony
OUR RATINGS
Check out our discussion on ALL LIGHT, EVERYWHERE on the Intercut Podcast!
At the Ready
Home to one of the region’s largest law enforcement education program, students at Horizon High School in El Paso train to become police officers and Border Patrol agents as they discover the realities of their dream jobs may be at odds with the truths and people they hold most dear.
Directors: Maisie Crow
OUR RATINGS
Check out our discussion on AT THE READY on the Intercut Podcast!
Cusp
In a Texas military town, three teenage girls confront the dark corners of adolescence at the end of a fever dream summer.
Director: Parker Hill, Isabel Bethencourt
OUR RATINGS
Check out our discussion on CUSP on the Intercut Podcast!
Homeroom
Synopsis: Following the class of 2020 at Oakland High School in a year marked by seismic change, exploring the emotional world of teenagers coming of age against the backdrop of a rapidly changing world.
Director: Peter Nicks
OUR RATINGS
Check out our discussion on HOMEROOM on the Intercut Podcast!
Rebel Hearts
Synopsis: A group of pioneering nuns bravely stand up to the Catholic Church patriarchy, fighting for their livelihoods, convictions and equality against an all-powerful Cardinal. From marching in Selma in 1965 to the Women’s March in 2018, these women have reshaped our society with their bold acts of defiance.
Director: Pedro Kos
OUR RATINGS
Check out our discussion on REBEL HEARTS on the Intercut Podcast!
Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It
Synopsis: A look at the history of the long-running children’s TV show, “Sesame Street.” Rita Moreno defied both her humble upbringing and relentless racism to become one of a select group who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award. Over a seventy year career, she has paved the way for Hispanic American performers by refusing to be pigeonholed into one-dimensional stereotypes.
Director: Mariem Pérez Riera
OUR RATINGS
Check out our discussion on RITA MORENO: JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT on the Intercut Podcast!
Summer Of Soul (...Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
Synopsis: During the same summer as Woodstock, over 300,000 people attended the Harlem Cultural Festival, celebrating African American music and culture, and promoting Black pride and unity. The footage from the festival sat in a basement, unseen for over 50 years, keeping this incredible event in America’s history lost – until now.
Director: Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson
OUR RATINGS
Check out our discussion on SUMMER OF SOUL (…OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED) on the Intercut Podcast!
Try Harder!
Synopsis: In a universe where cool kids are nerds, the orchestra is world class and being Asian American is the norm, seniors at Lowell High School compete for the top prize: admission to the college of their dreams.
Director: Debbie Lum
OUR RATINGS
Check out our discussion on TRY HARDER! on the Intercut Podcast!
Users
Synopsis: A mother wonders, will my children love their perfect machines more than they love me, their imperfect mother? She switches on a smart-crib lulling her crying baby to sleep. This perfect mother is everywhere. She watches over us, takes care of us. We listen to her. We trust her.
Director: Natalia Almada
OUR RATINGS
Check out our discussion on USERS on the Intercut Podcast!
Pictures and images above are Courtesy of the Sundance Institute and the films’ respective Studios.
