This weekend’s Park City Film Series feature, Clint Eastwood’s “Letters from Iwo Jima” tells a fictional account of Japanese soldier’s stories during World War II and their letters home, many of which were only unearthed from the island’s soil decades after battle.
On Thursday, the Sundance Institute will screen “This Film is Not Yet Rated,” a documentary that explores the inner workings and biases of the Motion Picture Association of America.
Darkness permeates much of the series’ latest lineup, with plots and themes riddled with war, bloodshed, desperation, deceit, and forbidden love.
But don’t blame series Director Frank Normile for the somber tone, blame cinema’s Zeitgeist the films on Normile’s list were the critically-acclaimed and winners of festivals.
“This is a year of dark films from all over the world you’ve got to say, ‘man, these are some heavy-weight films,” Normile said.
“But they’re great they’re the films I thought were artistically the best of the year,” he continued. “I’ve thought about it a lot I don’t know, I’ve read things that say that it’s because we’re involved in Iraq and we’ve got militarism on our minds, but I’m not sure I want everyone to think about it and call me if they come up with the answer.”
Several of the films are also foreign.
A haunting score accompanies upcoming series feature “The Lives of Others,” this year’s Academy Award winner for “Best Foreign Language Film.” The German thriller is a fictional account of the secret police known as the Stasi, beginning in East Berlin in 1984, five years before the fall of the Berlin Wall, through 1991.
Breaking up the center of the lineup will be a showcase of films from the Sundance independent film spin-off festival, the Slamdance Film Festival (which will be announced in a few weeks, according to Normile) as well as the second student film competition, “The New Reel Short Film Competition” on May 10 from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
Park City High School senior Whitney Smith, who helps to organize the competition, says her peers are already gearing up for the festival. “We keep it at a maximum of 40-minute films and then we review, along with teachers to ensure the content is appropriate,” she explained. “The competition, though, is judged by professional filmmakers and members of the community.”
Winners of the competition get cash prizes that range from $500 for first place, $300 for second place and $200 for third place.
“It’s a collaborative effort between the film series and the Park City High School,” Normile explained. “I just thought we should have something for the youth since the high school had such a powerful program in that way and it was very successful last year we had 23 submissions.”
The conclusion of this slate of series films will be “The Wind that Shakes the Barley,” the Palm D’Or Grand Prize Winner of the Cannes Film Festival, about Ireland in the 1920s, when workers from all over the country united to form volunteer guerilla armies to fight for Ireland’s independence. The film focuses on the story of two brothers who join the bloodshed that continues beyond the battle with the British, evolving into civil war.
Following this film lineup through the month of June, Normile said the Park City film series will break for the summer to return again in September for the new season, perhaps with a lighter, more cheerful slate.
But Normile can’t say what’s next. He plans the next calendar in August. Until then, however, he anticipates series audience members will get used to and will likely appreciate the dark.
“I think a lot of people are going to notice ‘that’s some serious subject matter you’ve got on that sheet, Frank,'” he said. “And you know what? That’s right. What can I tell you? This is a year of dark films that are great. They’re just dark.”
For more information and for links to movie trailers, visit www.parkcityfilmseries.com.