World Dramatic Competition | 2021 Sundance Film Festival Recap
/In the World Cinema Dramatic Competition program, Sundance selects a slate of narratives from around the world and this year's lineup had so much to chew over. From movies that feel like they've predicted real world events, to a drama about the adult film industry, to a "reverse Scott Pilgrim," the World Cinema section had some of Sundance 2021's best offerings.
The Dog Who Wouldn’t Be Quiet
Sebastian, a man in his thirties, works a series of temporary jobs and he embraces love at every opportunity. He transforms, through a series of short encounters, as the world flirts with possible apocalypse.
Director: Ana Katz
Writers: Ana Katz, Gonzalo Delgado
Stars: Daniel Katz, Julieta Zylberberg, Valeria Lois, Mirella Pascual, Carlos Portaluppi
Country: Argentina
OUR RATINGS
Check out our discussion on THE DOG WHO WOULDN’T BE QUIET on the Intercut Podcast!
El Planeta
Amidst the devastation of post-crisis Spain, mother and daughter bluff and grift to keep up the lifestyle they think they deserve, bonding over common tragedy and an impending eviction.
Director: Amalia Ulman
Writer: Amalia Ulman
Stars: Amalia Ulman, Ale Ulman, Nacho Vigalondo, Zhou Chen, Saoirse Bertram
Country: U.S. & Spain
OUR RATINGS
Check out our discussion on EL PLANETA on the Intercut Podcast!
Fire in the Mountains
A mother toils to save money to build a road in a Himalayan village to take her wheelchair-bound son for physiotherapy, but her husband, who believes that an expensive religious ritual is the remedy, steals her savings.
Directors: Ajitpal Singh
Writers: Ajitpal Singh
Stars: Vinamrata Rai, Chandan Bisht, Mayank Singh Jaira, Harshita Tewari, Sonal Jha
Country: India
OUR RATINGS
Check out our discussion on FIRE IN THE MOUNTAINS on the Intercut Podcast!
Hive
Fahrije’s husband has been missing since the war in Kosovo. She sets up her own small business to provide for her kids, but as she fights against a patriarchal society that does not support her, she faces a crucial decision: to wait for his return, or to continue to persevere.
Director: Blerta Basholli
Writer: Blerta Basholli
Stars: Yllka Gashi, Çun Lajçi, Aurita Agushi, Kumrije Hoxha, Adriana Matoshi, Kaona Sylejmani
Country: Kosovo, Switzerland, Macedonia & Albania
OUR RATINGS
Check out our discussion on HIVE on the Intercut Podcast!
Human Factors
Synopsis: A mysterious housebreaking exposes the agony of an exemplary middle class family.
Director: Ronny Trocker
Writer: Ronny Trocker
Stars: Sabine Timoteo, Mark Waschke, Jule Hermann, Wanja Valentin Kube, Hannes Perkmann, Daniel Séjourné
Country: Germany, Italy & Denmark
OUR RATINGS
Check out our discussion on HUMAN FACTORS on the Intercut Podcast!
Luzzu
Synopsis: Jesmark, a struggling fisherman on the island of Malta, is forced to turn his back on generations of tradition and risk everything by entering the world of black market fishing to provide for his girlfriend and newborn baby.
Director: Alex Camilleri
Writer: Alex Camilleri
Stars: Jesmark Scicluna, Michela Farrugia, David Scicluna
Country: Malta
OUR RATINGS
Check out our discussion on LUZZU on the Intercut Podcast!
One for the Road
Synopsis: Boss is a consummate ladies’ man, a free spirit and a bar owner in NYC. One day, he gets a surprise call from Aood, an estranged friend who has returned home to Thailand. Dying of cancer, Aood enlists Boss’ help to complete a bucket list – but both are hiding something.
Director: Baz Poonpiriya
Writer: Baz Poonpiriya, Nottapon Boonprakob, Puangsoi Aksornsawang
Stars: Tor Thanapob, Ice Natara, Violette Wautier, Aokbab Chutimon, Ploi Horwang, Noon Siraphun
Country: China, Hong Kong & Thailand
OUR RATINGS
Check out our discussion on ONE FOR THE ROAD on the Intercut Podcast!
The Pink Cloud
Synopsis: A mysterious and deadly pink cloud appears across the globe, forcing everyone to stay home. Strangers at the outset, Giovana and Yago try to invent themselves as a couple as years of shared lockdown pass. While Yago is living in his own utopia, Giovana feels trapped deep inside.
Director: Iuli Gerbase
Writers: Iuli Gerbase
Stars: Renata de Lélis, Eduardo Mendonça
Country: Brazil
OUR RATINGS
Check out our discussion on THE PINK CLOUD on the Intercut Podcast!
Pleasure
Synopsis: A 20-year-old girl moves from her small town in Sweden to LA for a shot at a career in the adult film industry.
Director: Ninja Thyberg
Writer: Ninja Thyberg
Stars: Sofia Kappel, Revika Anne Reustle, Evelyn Claire, Chris Cock, Dana DeArmond, Kendra Spade
Country: Sweden, Netherlands & France
OUR RATINGS
Check out our discussion on PLEASURE on the Intercut Podcast!
Prime Time
Synopsis: On the last day of 1999, 20-year-old Sebastian locks himself in a TV studio. He has two hostages, a gun, and an important message for the world. The story of the attack explores a rebel’s extreme measures and last resort.
Director: Jakub Piątek
Writers: Jakub Piątek, Łukasz Czapski
Stars: Bartosz Bielenia, Magdalena Popławska, Andrzej Kłak, Małgorzata Hajewska-Krzysztofik, Dobromir Dymecki, Monika Frajczyk
Country: Poland
OUR RATINGS
Check out our discussion on PRIME TIME on the Intercut Podcast!
Pictures and images above are Courtesy of the Sundance Institute and the films’ respective Studios.
