Go Into The Story at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival: January 24

Notes, reflections, and screenwriting takeaways from Park City, Utah.

After a shaky start to my annuals sojourn including a six-hour delayed flight out of Chicago, my first day at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival got off to a rousing start. While picking up my press credentials and tickets to 11 screenings over the course of 3 days, I ran into Minhail Baig!

I’ve known Minhail since 2013 when she was one of the writers selected for the very first Black List Feature Writers Lab at which I was a mentor. Over the years, I’ve tracked her emergence as a storyteller and one of the highlights of last year’s Sundance Festival was the premiere of her feature length film Hala. [You can read my interview with her about her experiences here.] Subsequently, Minhail has worked as a writer on two acclaimed TV series: Bojack Horseman and Ramy. She’s in Park City this year with another movie project she’s written and hopes to direct. Fingers crossed the project moves forward as it sounds like a gripping drama, plus, it’s set in Chicago.

Then it was off to my first screening of the day and the Festival at the wonderful Eccles Center: The world premiere of Zola (2020), screenplay by Janicza Bravo and Jeremy O. Harris, based on the Tweets by A’Ziah King, magazine article by David Kushner, directed by Janicza Bravo

Plot: A stripper named Zola embarks on a wild road trip to Florida.

This project has developed a lot of buzz not the least of which it is inspired by a series of tweets by A’Ziah King, which led to a magazine article, and now a feature length movie. I’m a fan of Riley Keough (Magic Mike, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Girlfriend Experience) and was intrigued to see how Taylour Paige would handle the character of Zola.

The screening did not disappoint, especially the first half which was laugh out loud funny. Keough and Paige provided amazing performances and Bravo showed off some imaginative directing and storytelling instincts.

At the post-screening Q&A, I thought Bravo’s comment that she traffics in “stressful comedy” was spot-on as Zola was certainly that.

Screenwriting Takeaway: You can find story inspiration anywhere… including Twitter. It is imperative to keep one’s mind aware of story concepts floating through our interface with daily life.

Next up: Herself which also had its world premiere at the Eccles Center: Herself (2020), written by Malcolm Campbell and Clare Dunne.

Plot: Sandra escapes her abusive boyfriend and fights back against a broken housing system. She sets out to build her own home and in the process rebuilds her life and re-discovers herself.

I knew next to nothing about this movie before I saw, but as the credits rolled to thunderous audience applause, I was sure this would be one of the best films of this year’s festival. This is a story which could have so easily lapsed into the type of melodrama one associates with 80s Lifetime movies, but the writing and directing (by Phyllida Lloyd) leaned into the emotion of the Protagonist’s situation while taking a sophisticated approach to the material. Assisted greatly by yet another wonderful performance by Harriet Walter, there was an emotional connection to the characters, each of whom was detailed with depth and precision.

The house Sandra builds is clearly a metaphor for the Protagonist’s growth which covers significant psychological terrain. As Dunne commented in the post-screening Q&A about the central theme of the story, “You are the hero of your own life. You just have to realize it. That’s what Sandra does.”

Screenwriting Takeaway: One of the major reasons audiences watch movies is to feel something. But it’s tricky. We can easily slip into melodrama. The best way to avoid that: Zero in on the authentic experience of the story’s characters, especially the Protagonist.

Claire Dunne is definitely a talent to watch.

The third film of the day and yet another world premiere: Ironbark (2020), written by Tom O’Connor, directed by Dominic Cooke.

Plot: Cold War spy Greville Wynne and his Russian source try to put an end to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The film features strong performances from Benedict Cumberbatch and Merab Ninidze, the two lead characters. In a plot which echoes Bridge of Spies, by comparison this movie pushes out the perimeters of the Protagonist’s journey as Greville Wynne (Cumberbatch) is completely unprepared for the task he reluctantly accepts with the exception of his abilities as a salesman. In the first act, there’s some tension, but also humor to be had at the character’s expense. However, it is in the third act where Wynne is pushed to the brink and the movie builds to a satisfying ending.

Screenwriting Takeaway: As opposed to ‘cradle-to-grave’ biopics, ‘snapshot bios’ continue to garner interest from studios and production companies. Look for individuals who not only have a compelling real-life story, but one which covers a compressed period of time, e.g., one week, a few months, a year.

My fourth movie of the day — and yes, another world premiere: Worth (2020), written by Max Borenstein, directed by Sara Colangelo.

Plot: An attorney in Washington D.C. battles against cynicism, bureaucracy and politics to help the victims of 9/11.

I really enjoyed this movie, another film which could have veered into melodrama considering the subject matter, but I think it was the nature of the Protagonist Ken Feinberg (Michael Keaton) which kept it grounded. A brilliant by-the-numbers guy, his character arc where he has to learn to engage the 9/11 victims as individuals, hearing their personal stories and allowing himself to connect with them on an emotional level, was a compelling struggle. I know Max Borenstein, the film’s writer and also one of its producers, and I hope to interview him in a few months to coincide with the release of the movie.

Screenwriting Takeaway: How to tell a story which covers such a massive subject like the 9/11 tragedy? Zero in on a few individual characters, especially the Protagonist and their journey to give the story focus both in terms of the physical and psychological journeys.

Note: Three of the four movies which screened today are directed by women.

Tomorrow’s movie lineup: Dream House, Uncle Frank, Four Good Days, and Kajillionaire.