Dietary Declarations, Deer Valley

One observes, with a certain weary detachment, the escalating self-importance of these micro-dramas at Sundance. Miss Coyle’s ‘Prime’, a short film concerning ethical consumption, premiered amidst the usual scramble for black truffle fries and faux-organic kombucha. The Midnight Short Film Program, naturally, was a crush—one nearly lost a Manolo to a snowdrift attempting to reach The Ray. Apparently, the Park City Institute had a rather limited guest list this year, prioritizing ‘impactful narratives’ over, shall we say, established names. One spotted Blake Winston Rice, looking frazzled but efficient, ensuring the generator situation did not disrupt the carefully curated agrarian aesthetic at McEnroe Organic Farm; a dedicated producer, certainly. It’s all so… earnest. The film itself, from what one gathers, is a pale imitation of the moral quandaries explored by Alain de Botton, only with more kale. The dedication to low-budget ingenuity is admirable, of course, but the real art lies in navigating the logistics of a January screening – avoiding the endless stream of rented SUVs and the inevitable collision with a wellness influencer. Kimball Art Center would have offered a calmer venue, but it lacks the cachet.