Sundance 2007 -- Day 2

This morning's movie, Tuli, is a rich view of village life in the Philippines. There is much ado about traditional pre-pubescent male circumcision. But it turns out the real story is about Daisy, who dangerously resists pressures and looks for love her own way -- with her childhood girlfriend. I'm glad I saw the film, but its inconsistent and unfocused script, the occasional flatness of the digital photography, and the frequent use of tie-her-to-the-railroad-tracks, Dudley Dooright, melodrama piano music were no small flaws. Still, director Auraeus Solito has made a nice rural complement to his superior inner-city Manila film from last year's festival, The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros.



After checking out the casual scene at Slamdance (by far the most prestigious side festival here), I checked in with the gang at the Park City Film Music Festival, which is located in a prime spot on Main Street. The festival continues to grow. I'm really glad to have Last Notes red playing there. And I've got all week now to gather people in to my Friday night screening.

I got a chance tonight to invite a whole lot of folks, since I preached at the Mass at St. Mary's, where I stay every year -- the best Sundance lodging there is. Usually I preach about one of the Sundance films, but I didn't think the folks would appreciate vagina dentata, even if it is Latin. Still, the second reading is 1 Cor 12, many parts, one body.

I'd go back up to the festival tonight but it means standing in the snow to catch a bus, then paying for a taxi to take me home, if I can even get one on a Sundance Saturday night. Things are crazy on the weekends during the festival. Jim, one of the priests at St. Mary's, spent a good hour on the road today to make the 6-mile round trip to pick me up. I'll stay home and work this festival from my laptop: blogging, trying to get press attention, planning which movies to see, and maybe even developing my primitive, 2-day-old, extremely late-in-coming MySpace page.