The phrase “observational documentary” immediately evokes cinéma vérité pioneers like Frederick Wiseman and the Maysles Brothers—filmmakers who defined the art of patient, fly-on-the-wall storytelling. With their Academy Award–nominated...
If one were to make the case that the Space Age started in 1957 with the launch of Sputnik, then it follows that someone born in 1942 has arguably spent their entire adult life living in the Space Age. But if that someone is Gentry Lee, then not only have they...
Like Ingmar Bergman pivoting from the existential weight of THE SEVENTH SEAL to the gentler, more reflective tone of WILD STRAWBERRIES, Icelandic filmmaker Hlynur Pálmason follows his critically acclaimed 2023 film GODLAND...
It’s only January, but if the new film ISLANDS is any indication of what lies ahead, 2026 is already shaping up to be a hell of a year at the cinema. Written and directed by Jan-Ole Gerster, and inspired by a character he observed while vacationing on the island...
The Sundance Film Festival is back. And with the festival, we can expect stories in the news about the latest “big” acquisition of premiering films. But while the headlines focus on the acquisition price, we want to understand what’s going on beyond the...
As the Sundance Film Festival approaches its final year in Park City, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the artists who didn’t just pass through Sundance—but helped define it, and in doing so, shaped an entire era of American independent cinema. Among...
