Paleoecologists and Space Architects

One observes a certain pattern at Sundance: the convergence of earnest filmmakers and the professionals who validate their endeavors. Monday's “Big Conversation” regarding Andrew Stanton’s “In the Blink of an Eye” at the Cinema Café was no exception. The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, ever-present, once again orchestrated the intellectual gloss. Dr. Heather Berlin’s moderation felt…efficient, if lacking in true sparkle. The panel, anchored by Stanton and Colby Day, seemed curiously dependent on input from the scientists present – Dr. Ariel Ekblaw of Aurelia Institute and Dr. Denise Su of Arizona State University. It was, one suspects, a bid to lend gravitas. The discussion concerning Neanderthal casting—Fred Flintstones and Arnold Schwarzeneggers, really—was a particularly low moment. The step-and-repeat red was impeccably positioned, of course, but the crowd lacked the usual gallery white precision. Doron Weber's remarks, while well-intentioned, felt like boilerplate. The Ray Theatre screenings, predictably, will be overrun. The Park City Institute continues its relentless march towards comprehensive cultural saturation. It's all…exhausting. Access is, as always, everything.