Sundance Special

steps down. Now, on BBC News wehave presentati

presentation about Sundance Film Festival. The aim of Sundance is to

support new artists. It is all about the films here. Any movie

that goes to Sundance must be taken seriously. Welcome from Park City

in Utah. Today we will look back at the highlights of this year's

Sundance Film Festival which draws to a close this weekend. An

estimated 50,000 festival-goers came to celebrate the glory of

independent iding over the event, the Sundance founder

Robert Redford. The line-up of OP more than 100 full-lenes

is to offer something different from typical fare. I think with

print journalism declining, movies are playing a greater role in

investigative journalism, telling thout the lives that we

open institution, RBA feels that she would not shed duel at the

ceremony because they add to violence or explicit? -- that it

would not share duel. -- schedule. We did not take a position on that.

controversy. We want to show the variety, which I think is not been

done in the mainstream. No, we do not censor of violence or reading

whether whether it is any good, or whether

there is a skill there that could people in terms of numbers? The

Sundance Festival is a Blockbusters, however, are seen by

more people than all Sundance films combined. Probably. I do not

industry. It can accommodate thhe choices are like

changes changes in the market place.

Therefore, our mission growing, because the category is

growing. It is all good. People do associate you with Sundance, but

you are an actor. This is the first time in fivet you have

appeared as such. Do you welcome that? Is it a good feeling to be

sta film camera? Yes, I like acting, that is how I started.

Doing both at the same time, acting and directing is a different matter.

I do not know how I feel about that. I do enjoy acting, I did enjoy

acting in these. We have been developing these four four years.

lot of people like looking at you though. Thank God, because I do not.

Moving on to the films being shown at Sundance cc, 'My Brother The

Devil', the only British film. With James Floyd and Fady Elsayed living

in a very rough housing estate in Hackney. So you think they'd you

are Gandhi of Hackney? Shut up. is about one of them coming of age

older brother played by James Floyd, who reveals himself as being gay,

the Welsh-Egyptian director has excelled at these. There is 8

double homophobia in his family. It is extremely homophobic the way

that the boy is a treat their end the music. -- the

the music. -- the boy is treated and the music that goes along with

it. It is about truelove. The love between brothers. True love between

brothers. It is made clear towards the end, especially when the brother

brother has to make a decision whether he can except his brother

accept. accept. It is about them

confronting each other and realising they can overcome their

distances for. -- differences. film is about the triumph of

a a bleak urban landscape populated

by nicely portrayed underdog characters not often seen in UK

cinemas. We to make a lot of movies about the privileged classes. I

don't think there is an up of a voice showing these kinds of

characters. This is one of the reasons why this movie is so

acting and directing. It faces a strong challenge. It uses the language

language of the streets. It is sometimes hard to understand what

the characters are saying. It may damage the commercial prospects of

the film. In blizzard light conditions in the first weekend of

the festival, the screenings with

with Sean Penn. My music teacher said that once you learnt how to

is a fiercely individualistic look at a man on a quest put together by

the Italian director Paolo Sorrentino. lturalism of

American films is the mealy extraordinary depth of film-making

around the world -- immediately. Such as the m Festival.

You really see what we're missing in America. While Americans inward-

looking in their appreciation of movies? Are they not aware of what

is happening in the rest of the what? There is an inherent

arrogance and puritanical blindnand and an identity seeking that seems

is to the detriment of our culture. Sean Penn is no stranger to making

political points. He has been critical of American ficy.

He went to Sundance Film Festival on the way to Haiti. You are very

involved in social and political use movies tyour opinion

been driven by a changing people's minds

about something. I like to go off on something that has an emotional

twist to it. If it has the added clarity of those kind of connotations

connotations and that is gravy. I would be drawn to was the polemics.

-- ire will not be drawn to the polemic. If the festival was

transformed by the snow, then some actors used Sundance to transform

th image. These teams to be the case for Rebecca Hall opera

Sirte Bruce Willis. -- opposite. It was good news for Rebecca Hall who

shows that she came create an entirely fresh, vivacious character

based on a real person. She plays a prostitutes and stripper in the

movie. She is very effervescent and bubbly. She is like a seven-year-

old girl on something. You would adding

adding to plus two. Believe that that apparel, she is possibly be

sharp as person you're ever likely to meet. In terms of mentally

sit around the fire drinking? at the mountain's from a small room

documentary that got off to a very good start was searching for Sugar

man, which got picked up in a distribution deal on the second day

of the festival. There is a new Detroit's

Detroit's Bob Dylan. Rodriguez's rded in 1970.

He deliverednd songwriting that was very engaging.

His voice gets very close to you. He speaks directly to your heart.

Rodriguez's recordings I did make it to South Africa. He developed a

very strong following there. became more famous than the Rolling

Stones. He became a very important figure for the anti- apartheid

Movement. Ros very importantly political. -- important

politically. The film follows the to

to it under -- to uncover the mysterious story of Rodriguez.

Legend had that he died in would be relatively easy to track

down what happened. This was South Africa during the apartheid era.

They were completely isolated. Tthought thought he was dead. He had

committed suicide. There were different versions as to how he had

grotesque suicide in rock history. To recount the full story of Rodrigues

Rodrigues would be to it spoil the surprise. He emerged as a man of

humility and great integrity. This brings

brings his talents to a wider audience.

4th 4th heart -- forthcoming Hobbit

films, Peter Jackson was a Sundance examination into the background of

the so-called West Memphis Three. They were found guilty in Arkansas

of 1993 grisly murders of three young boys. The alleged innocence

ofas been championed by celebritie

To my mind, it is a case you learn from. It is not just about these

three guys and the three boys who were killed. It is about the way

the justice system can derail. It can show us how easily that can

happen. There had been a three-part documentary series on the case, this

this new Endeavour introduces some powerful testimony, putting its

finger at a possible suspect. It is extremely coe. We were

shooting for almost two years. There was a massive amount of work.

How balanced is the Denmark -- and the documentary? A lot of people

believe they are guilty. We were looking for the truth. That's all

that really matters. It is about finding the truth. All sides will

tell you tha so much conflicting story. So many problems

with the original case. The three men were finally freed last August

after being imprisoned for 18 years. precedent,

precedent, they were allowed to assert their innocence while

pleading guilty in exchange to their freedom. One of the convicted

and now freed men is Damien Echols, also credited as a coal producer. -

- as a producer. It is not like you were fully pardoned? No, we were

not. We want to be completely and absolutely exonerated. We will keep

conducting these investigations until that happens. There has just

got to be a happy ending to this. When Sundance began more than 30

years ago, it was a distinctly American institution. Now these

days it has changed. The ONS are This

selected from 30 countries. From South Asia came Valley Of Saints.

The film's focus is on relationships. Gulzar, a boatman,

is becoming acquainted with Asifa, who engages in environmental work.

He has sinkhole fit, he has in pohas seen his dreams of

ballot -- vanish. Kashmir to him and this lake, it is a reminder of

all these negative things. As a FARC is coming from a different

perspective. She is an outsider. -- Asifa. That is the tension between

them. Gulzar feels a start in a place and Asifa is an outsider

coming in. Gulzar is also very close to his childhood friend,

Avtar Singh-Kolar. -- Afzal. I I think they are understandable and

choice, he go with his best friend, or does

he stay in his home where he has already had so many negative

memories? But he can still find a I hope the film conveys a message

of hope. That there is an aspect of human resistance. -- resilience.

Even in the mist of conflict, people still find a waand

survive and thrive. There is apt in this place, despite the destruction,

there is still love in this place. It is a message of human resilience.

And how that is mirrored in the environment.

The Sundance picture is poetic and moving. It also presents the beauty

of an environment, Dal Lake, which is not often captured on film.

That brings our look back on thiyear's year's Sundance Film Festival to a

close. We are going to leave you with a clip from the Sundance's

music themed documentary, Searching Fo Fo

# Was it a huntsman or a player # That made you pay the cost

# That now assumes relaxed position # And prostitutes your loss?

# Were you t your own thirst