what (not) to doc

NAVALNY
In August 2020 while on a plane traveling from Siberia to Moscow, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with Novichok, a nerve agent implicated in attacks on other opponents of the Russian government. Navalny partnered with journalists and international news organizations to investigate his attempted assassination and find proof of the Kremlin’s involvement. 

Director:
Daniel Roher

Producers:
Odessa Rae, Diane Becker, Melanie Miller, Shane Boris

Festival Section:
US Documentary Competition

More Info:
Check out the Sundance website for more details by clicking on the film title above.

The 2022 Sundance Film Festival begins tomorrow, Thursday, January 20, and runs through Sunday, January 30. w(n)td will be on hiatus for the duration while I’m busy with my responsibilities as a Senior Programmer for the festival. Regular daily weekday posting will resume on Monday, January 31.

Sundance is available online across the US — and in-person at seven Satellite Screens — so I encourage everyone who is able to catch as much of our amazing lineup as possible. Full program and ticketing info is available at the link above.

Gondwana
A durational VR experience that runs over 24 hours, and a constantly-evolving virtual ecosystem chronicling the possible futures of the world’s oldest tropical rainforest, the Daintree. Powered by climate data, each showing is unrepeatable and speculative, a meditation on time, change, and loss in an irreplaceable landscape.

Lead Artists:
Ben Joseph Andrews, Emma Roberts

Key Collaborators:
Lachlan Sleight, Michelle Brown, The Convoy

Producer:
Emma Roberts

Festival Section:
New Frontier

More Info:
Check out the Sundance website for more details by clicking on the project title above.

32 Sounds
An immersive documentary and sensory film experience that explores the elemental phenomenon of sound and its power to bend time, cross borders, and profoundly shape our perception of the world around us. The film will be presented in its “live cinema” form, featuring live music and live narration.

Lead Artist:
Sam Green

Producers:
Josh Penn, Tommy Kriegsmann

Festival Section:
New Frontier

More Info:
Check out the Sundance website for more details by clicking on the project title above.

PHOENIX RISING
Actress and activist Evan Rachel Wood takes her experience as a survivor of domestic violence to pursue justice, heal generational trauma, and reclaim her story in a culture that instinctively blames women. The film intimately charts her journey as she moves toward naming her infamous abuser for the first time.

Director:
Amy Berg

Producers:
Kirsten Sheridan, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller

Festival Section:
Special Screenings

More Info:
Check out the Sundance website for more details by clicking on the film title above.