Sundance Documentaries Call Action On Accountability

PARK CITY (Jan. 28, 2022) - There was a common thread throughout the U.S. Documentary Competition at this year's Sundance Film Festival. The diverse lineup of informative, thought-provoking stories repeatedly came back to the idea of holding media consumers, corporations, abusers and others accountable for their actions. Held virtually this year due to the pandemic, these Sundance titles will be released throughout 2022.

"The Princess"

A standout opening-night selection, “The Princess” is an immersive walk through the media speculation that surrounded Princess Diana from the moment of her engagement to her untimely and devastating death in 1997. Though director Ed Perkins was the first to admit this story has been told before, he approaches it in an incredibly unique way by removing himself and other “experts” from the narrative.

“The Princess” provides a new take on Diana's story by thrusting the viewer into the same chaos the Princess of Wales faced on a daily basis. Perkins' strategic style made the experience of watching it feel far more immersive and less retrospective than most documentaries. The superb film takes a thoughtful, third-person approach to a complicated story, and it is refreshingly free of melodrama, commentary and redundant talking heads. Perkins creatively eliminates "expert" opinions to allow the viewer to form her own thoughts - a fitting nod to a woman whose own thoughts were too often silenced.

"The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales"

The great-niece of Walt Disney chronicles her work with Disneyland cast members in their fight for higher pay in “The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales.” Though Abigail Disney is quick to say she is not involved with the company in any capacity, she felt a responsibility along with co-director Kathleen Hughes to juxtapose the “happiest place on earth” with its workers who say they can’t make a living wage. Disney's documentary debut adds to an already-complicated conversation about pay equity, even in beloved American institutions.

"To The End"

Director Rachel Lears tells an even more progressive story about holding human beings accountable in “To The End,” which follows Green New Deal activists from all walks of life. From the House of Representatives to the grassroots Sunshine Movement, Lears highlights how human behavior contributes to the climate crisis: and how politicians and voters who block green jobs legislation are affecting the future.

"Downfall: The Case Against Boeing"

Director Rory Kennedy brings a documentary to Sundance for the sixth time with this investigation into aerospace company Boeing. “Downfall: The Case Against Boeing” examines the events that led to two Boeing 737 crashes, in which more than 340 people died. Produced by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, the documentary expertly balances technical explanations with human emotion, exploring the tragedies from several perspectives. Kennedy told viewers this film is “an investigation into Boeing’s crumbling internal culture, and in many ways an investigation into corporate America.” “Downfall” will begin streaming on Netflix on Feb. 18.

"Phoenix Rising"

Perhaps the most personal and impactful example of accountability in action is “Phoenix Rising,” the story of actor and activist Evan Rachel Wood, who shares her harrowing and heartbreaking experience of domestic violence. Wood and her collaborators not only recount the abuse of her ex-boyfriend Marilyn Manson, but how she worked to change the law in California to help other domestic violence survivors. Directed by Amy Berg, the painfully-honest and undeniably important two-part documentary will stream on HBO this March.

Sundance programmers continue to make selections which raise complicated ethical questions, leaving audiences room to make their own judgments on important issues facing Americans today.