Changing the Face of Utah

For years when people thought of Utah it was a synonym with skiing, conservatives Mormons, and what many thought of as the lack of any real entertainment value (besides the skiing anyway).  Well, that image is changing, now when people think of Utah, other things come to mind; it's not as "backward" now as it once was.  But many Utahans have to wonder if all that change is really a good thing.

Utah is a unique place. As the rest of the United States has seen drastic changes in everything from moral views to fashion since the 1960’s, Utah has for the most part remained unchanged, as if some giant bell jar has been placed over the entire state. But that bell jar is beginning to crack as more diversity comes to Utah. Much of that diversity is thanks to things such as the Sundance Film Festival. One of the things you can’t help but notice at Sundance is just how many people are there. You go to any one of the venues and you will see tons of people; famous people, sort of famous people, but most of all, tons of everyday people from all over the country.

There are many people who are less than thrilled with this new diversity. Some people in Park City and other parts of Utah “suffer through” the festival because of the money it brings and because, let’s face it, there’s not much they can do about it anyway. But that doesn't mean they are happy about it. Many Utahans are proud of their conservative moral views, and proud that Utah has stayed true to those views despite the drastic changes seen in the rest of the world. They don’t want Utah to change. This doesn’t mean that they hate “outsiders”, they just don’t want other people coming and changing the Utah they've always known.

It is true that Sundance shows a different side to Utah. The festival strives for diversity of all forms and it is seen in the movies shown there. There are movies ranging from documentaries to science fiction by professional directors and hopeful upstarts alike. The subject matter for these movies is just as diverse, and some would say that it is also sometimes questionable in nature. This “questionable content”, along with the more modern ideals has caused friction between the festival and the local population for a long time, but that is slowly starting to change.

Now more than ever Sundance has been working to involve local residence in the festival. They work hard to provide incentives for local people to act in the role of volunteers, helping to organize and manage the events as they happen. There are also many perks given to locals wanting to attend the festival. For example, local residents can buy their tickets earlier than everyone else to guarantee that they can receive the best seats.

This effort has not gone without effect. More than 3000 local people took advantage of the early ticket sales. In addition, many college students (even from BYU, a school recognized for its “old fashioned values”) go to the festival every year.

It’s really not hard to see why it’s become so popular. Sundance has a palpable energy surrounding everything that happens there. Even in the middle of a white out blizzard people line up to see the movies and the stars. The energy and excitement turns the cold, ugly weather into swirling particles of crystalline beauty as the crowds bustle to each venue. Sundance is much the same as the snow, some look and only see something damaging and cold, changing the world they know, while others see something else entirely, something more beautiful and magical.