Sundance-London-2014-Logo-LargeIn the latest of our articles looking at the films and events playing over the weekend of the 25th to the 27th of April we look at the hidden gems on offer this year at Sundance London.

While films such as The Trip to Italy and Frank are getting a lot of the attention we wanted to shine the spotlight on some of the films you may not have heard of as yet, but films we think your Sundance London experience should certainly include.

Here’s the first.

Sundance The Case Against 8

The Case Against 8

What’s it all about?

Ben Cotner and Ryan White direct this powerful film about the fight to recognise same-sex marraige in the United States. Taking in five long years of legal wrangling what Cotner and White do so well is to examine the politics behind the decision, essentially contextualising it as well as drawing out the historic significance of the case. There have been several landmark legal cases in US history, the outcomes of which would affect millions of people. This is one such case, and the power of the film lies in the quiet moments in which the lifetimes of guilt and anger, denial and oppression are brought to the surface. Remarkable filmmaking.

Why you should see it.

The film won the Directing Award at Sundance for its first time directors, and it is making a triumphant festival run across the world picking up more awards as the important message is broadcast. Coming to London only a number of weeks after similar legislation was made law here in the UK this is a timely reminder of the battles which have to be fought every day.

Check out the film’s site here: – www.dogwoof.com/thecaseagainst8

Find out more and book tickets here

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Sundance The One I Love

The One I Love

What’s it all about?

Moving on to another debut feature here, a Sundance specialty, The One I Love has Charlie McDowell blessed with a fine pair of lead actors who help him breathe fresh air into the stale arena of the big-screen romantic comedy. Beginning at the end the film charts the life of Ethan and Sophie’s relationship after time spent with a therapist had held up a particularly sharp mirror to their faltering relationship. As they pick their way through the detritus of the end of the affair they begin to experience certain spatial and temporal anomalies as their search for the original spark leads them to some very odd ends.

Why you should see it.

Elizabeth Moss and Mark Duplass. It really is as simple as that. Watching Moss transition from The West Wing through Mad Men to last year’s incendiary Top of the Lake has been a joy to behold. The One I Love features her most assured performance to date, and Duplass always brings something interesting to the screen. Given rein to improvise through the sharp sci-fi-surreal nature of the story at play here gives us a film with a fascinating premise told with genuine wit and tenderness. A must-see.

Find out more and book tickets here

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Sundance Drunktown's Finest

Drunktown’s Finest

What’s it all about?

Another debut, this time from director Sydney Freeland, and it takes as its narrative fuel an examination of the town of Gallup, New Mexico, dubbed in a famous 20/20 article as Drunktown, USA. Struggling to overcome its poor reputation we are introduced to three disparate characters from the town, each with their own ambition (or lack of it), addictions and uncertain futures baring down on them. Freeland takes her time in bringing her trio together but when they meet there is a strange sense of optimism: that the label cruelly bestowed on the town may have some truth to it but there is far more life and vibrancy to Drunktown than anyone thought.

Why you should see it.

The relationships are key here. Whether it is borderline alcoholic Sick Boy and his pregnant wife, or trans woman Felixia and her grandparents there are dusky jewels in this dust. Plus the landscape of Gallup provides a sobering distance from the rest of the world.

Find out more and book tickets here

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Rinko-Kikuchi-in-Kumiko,-The-Treasure-Hunter

Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter

What’s it all about?

A young secretary from Japan is convinced that the suitcase buried in the Minnesotan snowdrifts during The Coen Brothers’ Fargo is real and she travels across the world to find the treasure.

Why you should see it.

Didn’t you read the one-liner above? It’s sounds like the kind of twisted genius only that the Coens themselves might come up with. Rinko Kikuchi walks a fine line between obsessive treasure hunter and a lonely soul caught up in ever increasing circles of delusion, and is the film’s chief standout. There is a cruel streak to the film however, and though much of the warm-hearted associations would, in other hands, been the foundation of a tender coming of age tale here there is a strange bleakness to the grand adventure. Kikuchi is fantastic, and the Zellner Brothers have certainly created something striking. See it before it becomes a cult classic.

Find out more and book tickets here

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Sundance Dinosaur 13

Dinosaur 13

What’s it all about?

This is a compelling film about the battle which began twenty four years ago when archeologists discovered the most complete skeleton of a Tyrannosaurs Rex thus far. It was an amazing find for Peter and Neal Larson, whose passion for the project, as well as the myriad offshoots (education, preservation, to be given to the public and so on), is tangible. What happened once the skeleton was found is so bizarre and unusual that it might stretch credibility as a tale of fiction.  However, this assuredly directed documentary pack a powerful gut punch when the FBI step in and seize the skeleton hitherto named Sue.

What follows is a heartbreaking examination of how a seemingly egalitarian pursuit can end in a legal maelstrom of land ownership between the named landowner, the FBI and a Native American tribe.

Why you should see it.

Director Todd Miller constructs a fine narrative web around the complex events, focusing on the optimistic archeologists, the agenda-rife FBI and an unforgiving legal system. There is no common sense to be found, no law of understanding that this project is for the benefit of the people. And the outcome is just… well, see for yourself.

Check out the film’s site here: – http://dinosaur13movie.com/

Find out more and book tickets here

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