The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

Film

Still from Judas and the Black Messiah, an official selection of the Premieres section at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo by Glen Wilson | Courtesy of Sundance Institute)

‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ a Rebuke of Government and Call for Community 

By Cade Anderson, Arts Writer February 2, 2021

  “If this building caught on fire right now, what would y’all be worried about?” Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya) asks a crowd of white working-class protestors, whom he hopes to recruit to...

Chronicle archives.

January Arts Desk Favorites

  Oakley Burt The new year is all about setting new resolutions and trying to see them through — something I'm not always the best at. Starting 2021 the right way, I set a goal to read one new...

Still from Writing with Fire (Courtesy Sundance)

Sundance Documentary ‘Writing with Fire’ Investigates Caste and Gender Norms in India

By Frank Gardner, Assistant Arts Editor February 1, 2021

Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh’s "Writing with Fire" premiered Jan. 30 after five intense years of filming, editing and traveling. This powerful documentary depicts a team of 24 female journalists...

Still from Superior, a selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo by Mia Cioffi | Courtesy Sundance Institute)

‘Superior’ Submerges Viewers Into an ’80s Fever Dream

By Cade Anderson, Arts Writer February 1, 2021

  In “Superior,” Marian (Alessandra Mesa) turns to her estranged identical twin sister, Vivian (Ani Mesa), for refuge. The pair must learn to navigate their new proximity to one another while...

(Photo by Corita Art Center, Immaculate Heart Community, Los Angeles. Courtesy: Sundance)

The Immaculate Heart Sisters Continue to Make Waves in the Sundance Premiere of ‘Rebel Hearts’

By Frank Gardner, Assistant Arts Editor February 1, 2021

  Award-winning director Pedro Kos releases his second Sundance film "Rebel Hearts" at this year’s 2021 festival. This documentary tells the story of a group of Roman Catholic nuns living in...

A still from How it Ends by Daryl Wein and Zoe Lister-Jones. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | Photo by Daryl Wein)

‘How it Ends’ Brings Joy and Optimism to the Apocalypse

By Kate Button, Arts Writer, Copy Editor January 31, 2021

  Filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic and featuring apocalyptic and nihilistic optimism, “How it Ends” seeks to answer the question, “How should you spend the last day on earth?” On...

Still from I Was a Simple Man. (Photo by Eunsoo Cho | Courtesy Sundance Institute)

‘I Was a Simple Man’ is a Hypnotic Meditation on Colonization, Mortality, and Nature

By Cade Anderson, Arts Writer January 30, 2021

  “Dying isn’t simple, is it?” asks Grace (Constance Wu) constantly throughout this story. The question sticks to Masao (Steve Iwamoto) as his impending death forces him to confront complicated...

Still from Son of Monarchs (Courtesy: Sundance)

Sundance’s ‘Son of Monarchs’ Is the Spiritual and Scientific Anthem We Didn’t Know We Needed

By Frank Gardner, Assistant Arts Editor January 30, 2021

  Director and biologist Alexis Gambis’ award-winning film “Son of Monarchs” made its international premiere on Jan. 29, the second day of the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. This semi-fictional...

A still from Strawberry Mansion by Albert Birney and Kentucker Audley (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | Photo by Tyler Davis)

Surrealism and the Power of Human Connection in ‘Strawberry Mansion’

By Kate Button, Arts Writer, Copy Editor January 30, 2021

  “Strawberry Mansion” is set in a not-too-distant future wherein dreams are recorded and taxed. Arabella “Bella” Isadora (Penny Fuller) is an eccentric old lady who lives in a strawberry-colored...

A still from Summer Of Soul (Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) by Ahmir Questlove Thompson (Courtesy of Sundance Institute)

‘Summer of Soul’ Records a Forgotten Festival and Celebrates a Revolutionary Era

By Kate Button, Arts Writer, Copy Editor January 29, 2021

  On Jan. 28, the first day of the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson made his directorial debut with “Summer of Soul (...Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised).”  In...