Last week, the Sundance Film Festival announced Soon he will leave his four decades house in Park City, Utah, for Boulder, Colorado. The intestinal reaction of many was “Why did they go?” Some nearby observers responded by focusing on the “political“Angle to explain the jump on the status line, which everything was about “Leaving the red state for a blue one.”
But the Utah to Colorado movement was not political. It was personal. A reasonable and rational choice to protect future participants and preserve the integrity of the festival of hostile state politicians. The closest that the Sundance Institute came to an explanation was a single line in the announcement Press release Highlighting “Boulder's Wheding Environment” and the alignment of the new location with the “ethos” of the Film Festival.
Translation: Utah has become an average state. While Utah leaders often Reveador To the certain economic success, there is much more in life than money. Women are not successful there: Utah has spent 10 years at the bottom in an important Annual classification of equality of girls and women. A school boy was addressed by a member of the Utah State School Board (and the Legislature He chose not to accuse for that offense). Other children now fear attacks and public shame. Partly in response, professionals have He started out The State.
When asked to summarize the UTAH legislative session last year, local reporters noted It was distinctively “less friendly” towards people “on the margins”, and that stood out for “the legislature who wanted to do things to people instead of for People. “Utah has been measured as one of the United States More rudón States, perhaps because it does everything possible to show that it is little cozy for women, LGBTQ+ people and, strangely, the Californians. Governor Spencer Cox has saying He “I love that people stay in California instead of coming as refugees to Utah.” Not long after him joined He “I would love to build a wall around our state.” It is not exactly warm (or all so fun).
Something like the state senator who, after the ad, immediately turned to X to proclaim:
“Sunday promotes porn
Sunday promotes alternative lifestyles
Sundance promotes anti-LDS issues
Sunday no longer fits into Utah. “
Utah's new brand is, in a word, I hate.
For many, this goes against the common public image: a splinter, smiling Utahn, perhaps an adorable character of “The Book of Mormon”. The governor likes to proclaim the “Utah path”, which a local reporter defined as A place where “policy and policy formulation is really pleasant and educated.” But as the used car seller smile, that can be a front. There are often much more in history and part of it is not so pleasant.
Complete dissemination: I lived in Utah from time to time (due to military service) during the last decade. Our family called Park City Home during the last two years prior to the announcement of Sundance. I have followed from the epicenter of the decision, so the factors in the public tender often reflected those in our own private considerations. And, like Sunday, our family said goodbye to Utah. Recently we also tell us by Colorado.
I do not give me joy to write these words. Our family chose Utah once and expected that to work. There are many wonderful and friendly people there. For example, I was at Salt Lake City airport and talked to a woman who offered as a volunteer at the Film Festival during the last 22 years. It was clear that I was sad. He was sad for her and the great local community that supported the festival for so long and so well.
But there should be no doubt that the departure of Sundance is the direct result of a public life that has been deliberately contaminated by Utah politicians, who have used bad laws and thug pulpit to poison the atmosphere as much as the legendary smog investment That Salt Lake City often leaves some of the worst air of the United States
The Californians have been defeating Utah since John Ford made John Wayne a star with “Stagecoach” of 1939. Part of that artistic migration included Robert Redford, who bought and started what later became the Sunday resort at the end of the 1960 The Film Festival.
The annual walk to Sundance was not just an excuse for a fun ski escape from Park City (Just ask Gwyneth). It was the trampoline of a filmmaker, to transform the students into the state, what he has done, what including Ryan Coogler, Steven Soderbergh, Ava Duvernay and the two Andersons (Wes and Paul Thomas). It is surprising that Park City, such a small place in such a small state (the entire population of Utah is smaller than that of the city of Los Angeles) has been a great partner and has had a great impact on California.
For Utah, loss is a great blow. Last year the festival generated $ 132 million for the State, more than 1,700 jobs, almost $ 70 million in Utah wages and approximately $ 14 million in state and local tax revenues. Beyond money, Park City will lose its weight as the annual axis in which the global cinema culture turned every January.
The terrifying part of the Sunday movement is what he says about the times we live. It seems that we have entered the United States Third red scare. Of course, it presents particular problems and problems of our own era, but the net result is the same: a dedicated effort to cut the entire strip of people out of participation in public and artistic life.
While perhaps no one in Utah maintains a black Hollywoodlist at the state level, they don't have to do it. Utah created such a hostile environment to certain artists who have achieved another form of censorship. You do not need to prohibit people if they are unpleasant for fear.
The states that insist on drawing bright red lines between what is ideologically acceptable and unacceptable will be those in which Diktat destroys movies and art is destroyed by Diktat. And when those lines are drawn, everyone loses.
ML Cavanaugh is the author of the next book “Best Scar wins: how can you be more than you were before.” @Mlcavanaugh
