The 2007 Sundance Film Festival, running January 18-28, 2007, will open with Brett Morgen’s documentary “Chicago 10.”
“We are pleased to open the 2007 Sundance Film Festival with Brett Morgen’s “Chicago 10,” festival director Geoff Gilmore said in a statement today. “We are particularly excited to be able to present a film that pushes the boundaries of many of the traditional aspects of documentary filmmaking, that speaks to audiences beyond what one might expect and that exemplifies the range of creativity and diversity that we support at the Festival.”
According to Sundance programmers, the film “explores the build-up and aftermath of the week-long anti-war demonstrations staged during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, during which protestors clashed with the Chicago Police Department and the National Guard. The film presents contemporary history through a mix of bold and original animation with extraordinary archival footage that allows the film to move back and forth between the protests on the streets of Chicago and the resulting courtroom chaos. Set to the music of revolution, then and now, ‘Chicago 10’ is a story of young Americans speaking out and taking a stand in the face of an oppressive and armed government.”
Morgen is not stranger to the Utah film festival. His previous documentary, “The Kid Stays in the Picture,” played Sundance 2002.
“It seems fitting to me that a film about the importance of taking a stand should launch [the festival],” Morgen stated. “For five years I have labored to bring this story into focus and with each passing day, the film becomes increasingly relevant. I can’t think of a more appropriate time and place to unleash this beast.”
