This week, Jade takes the long road to the Sundance Film Festival.

Of all the films to emerge from this year’s festival, Capturing The Friedmans, a documentary about one suburban family’s fight against child molestation charges in the 80s, is sure to be the most controversial. Many of the children who accused the father, Arthur Friedman, and youngest son, Jesse, later recanted, or said that they were coerced by investigators. But, at a late-night screening of the film, a woman stood and berated the director for siding with the Friedmans, claiming that she knew children who were abused by them. The film took the Grand Jury prize for Best Documentary and will most definitely get a theatrical release.

Former US Vice President Al Gore and his wife were in the Sundance audience for another documentary, The Pill, which traces the development of the Pill and its effects on women’s lives. They appeared to enjoy it, staying for the Q&A with directors Chana Gazit and David Steward, although they didn’t ask any questions or engage in discussion with the rest of the audience.

Organizers of an anti-war protest, expecting a huge turnout of sympathetic celebrities and moviegoers, were left instead with a few dozen demonstrators and nearly as many watchful policemen. Even awards ceremony co-host Maggie Gyllenhaal’s closing remarks felt hurried and somewhat dutiful, as if she knew the patron saints of indie film were somewhere out there, expecting her to make anti-war statements. Said Gyllenhaal: "I want to take this moment, with all the cameras on me, to say I really hope everyone in the US can do everything we can to avoid this war."
Jade Chang 30 January 03

useful link: www.sundance.org