FESTIVAL
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PARK CITY Spokane native Trish Harnetiaux discusses her short film playing at the virtual Sundance Film Festival; plus, a rundown of this year’s Sundance highlights BY NATHAN WEINBENDER
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n 2020, the Sundance Film Festival was one of the last big movie-centric events to happen in person before international COVID-19 shutdowns took effect. But the show must go on, and the landmark independent film forum is back in 2021, albeit in a virtual version. That’s right: If you’ve always dreamed of hobnobbing at Sundance but have never made the trip, you can now purchase e-tickets and see the work of hundreds of filmmakers from around the world. One of them is Spokane native Trish Harnetiaux, whose new film You Wouldn’t Understand was selected as part of this year’s Sundance shorts program. It’s easily the biggest venue where the 10-minute film has played, and it’s also the first time one of Harnetiaux’s films has played the buzzy Park City, Utah, festival. “It’s always been a dream. And what a year to be in Sundance,” Harnetiaux tells the Inlander. “It’s a bittersweet opportunity for us, and clearly we’re disappointed that there’s no Park City this year.”
But she says that the Sundance staff has been generous with their time and support, and that their enthusiasm is representative of the “pandemic pivot” that so many arts organizations have had to lean into. “They’re doubling down and trying to get exposure for everybody, and the shorts program is available for the entirety of the week,” Harnetiaux says. “There’ll be a lot more eyes on it. That’s pretty exciting.” Born and raised in Spokane, Harnetiaux was heavily involved in the local theater scene from a young age; her father, Bryan Harnetiaux, has been the playwright-in-residence at the Spokane Civic Theatre since 1982. After attending the University of Washington and studying theater and playwriting, she moved to New York, where she still resides. ...continued on page 45
PUNCH YOUR E-TICKET The virtual Sundance Film Festival runs from Jan. 28 to Feb. 2, and the schedule includes more than 70 feature films. Obviously we can’t list them all, but here are a few of the titles we’re most looking forward to. See a full schedule and purchase tickets at festival. sundance.org.
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH Originally slated for theatrical release last summer, this historical drama follows Black Panther Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya) and his doomed friendship with FBI informant William O’Neal (LaKeith Stanfield). It also drops on HBO Max on Feb. 12.
LAND The directorial debut of actress Robin Wright, who also stars as a woman living alone deep in the woods and grappling with a dark event from her past. Part nature survival drama, part study of trauma and self-worth.
ON THE COUNT OF THREE In this dark morality play, two deeply troubled men, played by Jerrod Carmichael (who also directed) and Christopher Abbott, make a bizarre pact to be dead by the end of the day. If you like your films edgy and unpredictable, look no further.
PASSING Yet another directorial debut from an established actor, in this case Rebecca Hall, the story of two Black women (Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga) who form an unusual bond after learning they’re both passing as white.
PRISONERS OF THE GHOSTLAND Nicolas Cage stars in the latest weird effort from director Sion Sono, a futuristic Western about a bank robber, a missing girl and an exploding leather jacket. Cage himself has described this as the wildest film he’s ever made… think about that.
THE SPARKS BROTHERS Edgar Wright’s first documentary focuses on the influential, cultishly adored band Sparks, the idiosyncratic, pop-literate project of brothers Ron and Russell Mael. The film will serve as a musical history lesson and will also boast new concert footage.
You Wouldn’t Understand
30 INLANDER JANUARY 28, 2021
SUMMER OF SOUL One more music-centric documentary from a big name director, in this case the Roots drummer Questlove. The subject here is 1969’s Harlem Cultural Festival, also known as Black Woodstock, which featured Nina Simone, Sly and the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight and others. n