Salt Lake is a city built on secrets. Its origin tale is wrapped up with the “Bible 2.0” Exodus of Brigham Young and his followers, the Latter-day Saints, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (officially) or the Mormons (colloquially and historically). The Mormons first arrived here in the Great Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847, after a long and insanely dangerous trek from Nauvoo, Ill. Technically it was Mexican territory, but the Mexican-American War was about to get underway and much bigger dogs than Brigham and his rag-tag band of Mormons were squaring off for a fight. Brigham wanted his followers to be left alone to practice the LDS faith and, yep it gets weird, to establish a short-lived autonomous nation called the Kingdom of Deseret (which got as far as developing its own language and currency, BTW). It is, as we say around here, a heck of a story.
In the late 1800s, federal troops, sent here to put the kibosh on this whole Kingdom thing, discovered rich veins of copper and silver and paved the way for the age of the silver barons and more outside influence. The east-west railroad brought an influx of laborers who would add diversity to the mix, and Utah’s admission to the United States, in 1896, brought even more changes. Still, Utah remained apart with a dominant religion, which often dictated politics and individual conscience. The point is that this delicious frontier mix of history made an atmosphere perfect for cultivating mushroom-like secrets.
THE SPHYNX OF SALT LAKE CITY
- What: A Collection of Esoteric Sculptures called Gilgal Garden
- Where: 749 E. 500 South, SLC
It was a legend among Salt Lake teenagers in the ’70s and ’80s: a bizarre sculpture garden located in the middle of Salt Lake with a menagerie of odd Mormon-themed statues and rock art installations. What adventurous teen wouldn’t want to sneak into a strange yard filled with bizarre carvings featuring ominous Biblical verses set in the stones, and (why not?) a sphinx-like creature bearing the visage of LDS Church founder Joseph Smith?
The works sprang from the mind of outsider artist Thomas Battersby Child Jr., a Mormon bishop, local businessman and stonemason. Child tinkered relentlessly in the backyard of his childhood home building his Gilgal (a word that means “circle of stones” in Hebrew and is a place name in the Book of Mormon). Child was self-taught; he made it all up as he went along, and his creations are excellent examples of outsider art. The sculptures are large and imposing, and a walk through the garden is a tour through Child’s eclectic fascinations with masonry and his musings on the relationship of Mormonism with the ancient world. The show pony is the Sphinx-Smith, but be sure to note Child’s self-portrait, a man constructed entirely of bricks.
After Child’s death, the garden became an oddity—almost an urban legend—and, while the mystique of hopping the fence to see the place was a dare-worthy part of life for SLC teens, the artworks fell prey to the elements and vandalism. In the late 1990s, the property was put up for sale, and a coalition of private citizens, public entities and nonprofit groups worked to preserve the site.
ABOUT THE BOOK: Secret Salt Lake opens a window into the weird, bizarre, and obscure secrets of Salt Lake, that are often hiding in plain sight. The guidebook, written by Salt Lake magazine editors Jeremy Pugh and Mary Brown Malouf is a collection of odd tales, urban myths, legends and historical strangeness here in the Beehive State. Get your copy from Reedy Press today and read more about the secrets and oddities of Utah.
Wander into Old Cuss Cafe, and you’ll feel as though you stepped into a mix of your favorite quirky uncle’s log cabin and a vintage consignment shop run by his eclectic wife. It is warm, welcoming, and the scent of roasted coffee permeates everything— it’s the perfect place to cozy up on a cold morning. The owners, Brent’lee Williams, AKA the “Old Cuss” and Christain Fyffe, who goes by Fyffe, set about to create an entirely plant-based restaurant and coffee shop. Their motto, “vegan food for non-vegan people,” is inspiring for those of us making a transition to more plant-based eating in 2023.
“Most people think, ‘hey, vegetables are a side dish,’” Fyffe says “But [vegetables are] something to be celebrated. The majority of the world has been finding ways to make them the star of the show.”
“Plants are so unbelievably diverse,” adds Brent’lee. “What you can do with tomato is much more than an out-of-season tomato slice on a sandwich. There are so many ways to cook a tomato. We think tomato sauce. We think pizza sauce. We think a BLT. But you can take a tomato, peel it, then take that tomato peel and dehydrate it for flavor. Rehydrate it. Sun-dry it. Turn it into a powder. Turn it into a whipped cream. The things that you can do with these vegetables are unbelievable.”
Get curious about plants
One thing Brent’lee and Fyffe agree on is to approach plant-based eating with a side of curiosity. “We’re both very curious people with our food,” says Brent’lee. “There are vegetables I’ve never even picked up. I don’t know the texture when I feel it, let alone the texture when I eat it.” This is where a healthy dose of curiosity comes in. “If I stew this, what happens? If I bake this, what happens?”
Where to start your own plant-based eating? Fyffe chims in with some advice, “Let’s say ‘plant-based curious’ since we’ve been using the term curiosity. Somebody that’s looking to make a change or, you know, convert to another way of eating, Honestly, that spark of curiosity goes far.”
Eat dishes that are a part of your roots
Most food cultures have elements that are vibrantly plant-centric. Brent’lee and Fyffe recommend exploring them when you are considering a transition to plant-based eating. Lean into your cultural roots, and find something familiar that you love to make the transition that much easier.
Fyffe’s mom is East Indian, and he explains that “meat isn’t a huge part of my backstory. It’s just a part of my upbringing. And so if I wanted to go back to my backstory it makes sense for me to be more on a plant-based diet because of where I come from.” Brent’lee laughs and adds, “Fyffe has very deep roots. I’m a blonde, blue-eyed dude from Missouri. But even in Missouri, corn-fed is what we talk about. A corn-fed, Missouri boy.”
Start with plants that are a part of your culinary traditions and foodways. Then branch out from there to other traditions.
‘Let your taste buds travel’
“You hear from all these different chefs who started travel shows, that travel will make you a better human,” says Brent’lee. “Let your taste buds travel. We’re so fortunate. Salt Lake is a refugee city, and every day, the food culture here becomes more and more diverse.”
Here’s your chance to get curious again. Try new foods, new preparations and get inspired by other food cultures.
Be a rebel. Eat plants.
To younger readers, Brent’lee advises “you want to be a rebel? Eat some plants.If there’s a 60-year-old reading this, it’s not too late to rebel against your dad. Eat plants. Rebelling is how progress happens. Progress comes from rebellion. I think the most Mr. Rogers human on this planet can find one punk rock song to connect to. And if that punk rock song happens to be on a [plant-based] menu at a restaurant, lean into it, be curious.”
Visit Old Cuss Cafe
At Old Cuss, you’ll find plant-based milks. House-made syrups. A rotating cast of seasonal drinks. And comfort food that sticks to the (plant-based) ribs. Do yourself a favor and get the Breakfast Dagwood with Brent’lee’s famous house-made biscuit, “cheese” sauce, tofu egg and parsnip bacon. Don’t forget to add some hot sauce. Or go classic with a “Big Ass” Burrito—packed with smoked jackfruit, baked potato fries, tofu eggs, all smothered in house-made enchilada sauce. If you just want a little something to go with your latte, pick up Mom’s Jam n’ Biscuit. And yes, it is served with jam that is literally made by Brent’lee’s mom.
Hungry for more?
Check out some of our local plant-based favorites.
- Hello! Bulk Markets Perfect for picking up bulk grains, beans, nuts and produce. Bring your own bags and jars—this market is consumer packaging-free.
- Mahider Ethiopian Restaurant An authentic Ethiopian restaurant in Salt Lake City, they serve traditional dishes using recipes passed down generations. Grab a friend, get the vegetarian combo plate, and be prepared to eat with your hands off a communal plate. Yum!
- Zest Kitchen & Bar Global fusion vegan fare with fresh ingredients and solid gluten-free options. And great cocktails. 21+ only.
- Vertical Diner One of the OG vegan spots in Salt Lake City. You’ll find vegan diner food with breakfast served all day. Get the tender tigers (AKA vegan wings), one of many burgers, or “The Mountain”—a big pile of hash browns, tofu scramble, grilled peppers and onions, cheese sauce and guacamole.
- Big O Doughnuts Vegan donuts? Yes, please. No need to say more.
- City Cakes Vegan cakes, pastries, and treats, oh my! Get a cinnamon roll and prepare to enter sugarcoma bliss.
- Rawtopia Not just vegan, but raw. Get their miso soup or the raw taco salad.
Kachka in Portland, Oregon is cozy Russian restaurant that will leave you feeling like you've sat down at your favorite babushka's table.
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I am having a bad day. I leave my home office frustrated, load up my barely-used ski gear and accept the inevitability of my bad day continuing on the mountain. I drive toward Little Cottonwood Canyon for my second lesson (ever, in my whole life) at Alta Ski Area, and something happens as I crest the foothills and the towering walls of the canyon come into view.
The snow-covered cliffs and pines form that classic Wasatch landscape in a color scheme of white, blue-purple and black. The still-suspended crystals of fresh snow and ice reflect the scant, cloud-diffused sunlight and dance in a fog around the peaks like a winter May pole. I have lived in Utah for twenty years, and I have to catch my breath at the sight of it. Then I breathe it in. The annoyances and mistakes that had worked me into a lather that morning shrink to appropriate significance when the Wasatch Mountains are shown for scale. (This is the third entry in the diary of a never-skier. Here are entries one and two.)
I understand all at once why, for some, skiing is tantamount to a religion and the mountains are their temple. This is serenity. I’m not ready to fully convert just yet (I’ve already abandoned one high-demand religion), but I’m curious to hear what the faithful have to say. Maybe, if I’m not up to going every sabbath, I could be the kind of member who shows up just on major holidays?
I might have been able to savor the majesty of the landscape more, if not for the fact that I was still actively driving up the canyon. For those looking for another way up the mountain, there is a new ski shuttle service in town. Cottonwood Connect Ski Shuttle takes skiers (and snowboarders) to the top of the Cottonwood Canyons to Alta, Brighton, Snowbird and Solitude resorts. The shuttle is pretty affordable and runs Thursday–Sunday all season with multiple pick-up points at hotels and park and ride lots and flexible pick-up times. All riders need to do is reserve their trip in advance. If the desired time slot isn’t available, there’s always UTA Ski Service as well.
Once I’m all checked in at Alta’s Ski School for my second lesson, the first thing my ski instructor Natalie does is take away my ski poles. I have lost my pole privileges. And it is freeing. Perhaps I had been relying on them too heavily during my first lesson, because I find just about everything I’ve learned so far—from traversing flat surfaces, uphill and sideways to turning—a bit less stressful without them. Natalie reiterates that she has taken my poles away so that I learn to use my legs for balance and control.
After a warm up, it’s time to ride my first lift. I confess I was and am more scared of the prospect of getting wiped out by a ski chair during a moment of distraction than I am of falling. So, we start small. The lift, as it turns out, does not zoom by, taking out the legs of skiers who couldn’t get into position in time or coldcock unsuspecting bystanders, as the threatening lifts in my imagination did. Rather, the Snowpine Lift ambles around in a friendly oval, rumbling gently as it scoops up skiers (who have plenty of time to skate from the line and into position). The best part is taking the ride to discuss classic ski films like Better Off Dead and share a mutual love of John Cusack with Natalie. The worst part is the bite of cold wind on the face while hovering up the hill. It’s a particularly cold day anyway, and with more cold days ahead in the forecast, I make a mental note for next time to shove handwarmers in my gloves and wherever else handwarmers can be shoved.
The rest of the lesson involves me serpentining down increasingly steeper inclines. We take turns playing follow-the-leader, so I can learn to control my turns and keep a constant speed while following Natalie, and so she can watch me and make notes about my form. Once again, as I’m sliding in and out of wide C-shaped turns, it occurs to me that skiing is fun. As well as thrilling and a little bit peaceful. There is a quality of weightlessness about it, like I’ve escaped the influence of a sliver of gravity. Maybe I’ll convert, after all.
Natalie cautions about a common beginner’s mistake: getting nervous as they pick up speed and leaning back to slow down. Apparently, taking weight off the tips of the skis will actually speed them up. I wouldn’t say I put this theory to the test right away, but there was some experimentation. By the end of my second lesson, I wanted more time and space to feel things out than the bunny hills could offer. They always say, leave them wanting more. Next lesson, I’ll likely get my wish. We’re moving up to the beginner-level runs, and I suspect I might get my poles back, too.
For other never-skiers like me, check out my prior diary entry for deals and discounts for beginners. If you’re already a seasoned skier, I am open to any tips. What did you wish you had known your first few times out? What are poles even for? Downhill ski fights? (Like I said, I’ve seen Better Off Dead.) Send your wise nuggets of ski knowledge to us @slmag on all the socials (Facebook|Instagram|Twitter) or email magazine@saltlakemagazine.com. Stay-tuned for updates and further entries on saltlakemagazine.com.
The Lone Bellow offered us a little teaser last summer when they opened for country-pop sensation Maren Morris at Red Butte Garden (she hand-selected them). That seven-song set whet our appetite for the main course, a full-set, KRCL Presented show at the Commonwealth Room on Feb. 5, 2023. The band is touring in support of their just-released Love Songs For Losers, an 11-song gem that’s rising in the charts. Recorded in the supposedly haunted house of the late Roy Orbison (if you believe in that sort of thing), the end result is a highly spirited record. The single “Honey” has already hit #2 on the Americana Singles chart and the band is sure to fill their setlist with a hardy sampling of their great new material.
The Lone Bellow, a trio of southerners who met in New York City in 2012, play contemporary country/folk or what they term Brooklyn Country. Featured musicians include Zach Williams on guitar and lead vocals, Kanene Donehey Pipkin on mandolin, bass, keyboard and vocals and Brian Elmquist on guitar and vocals. The trio inked a record deal with Sony imprint Descendant Records and released their debut self-titled album which reached #64 on the Billboard Top 200 in 2013. People magazine placed the record in their top ten albums of 2013. The record provided listeners with a visceral musical experience of alluring harmonies and impassioned lyrics. “Green Eyes and a Heart of Gold,” is an exuberant song about how a strong relationship can get you through hard times. The trio sings “Green eyes and a heart of gold. All the money’s gone and the house is cold and it’s alright.” Their sophisticated blend of country/folk/rock/gospel/blues appeals to fans of both heartfelt country ballads and urbane folkish grit.
The band stayed in the center lane of Americana for their next two records. Stunning three-part harmonies and rich tales of love, loss, pain and joy remained the secret formula that earned them an Americana Music Award nomination for best group in 2015. A move to Nashville in 2016 didn’t untether their musical moorings and years on the road only strengthened their place as roof-raising roots revivalists.
On Feb. 7, 2020, The Lone Bellow hit a home run with the release of their most creatively daring and emotionally intelligent, full-length album Half Moon Light. Then, the global pandemic abruptly halted their touring schedule. Undeterred, the band continued to make music. In 2021 they released a deluxe edition of Half Moon Light, expanding the original release from 15 songs to 21 (what we called a double album back in the vinyl days). Despite the pandemic, the album soared to #4 on the Billboard US Folk Album charts and #11 on the Billboard Top 200. The first single “Count on Me” seemed ready-made for the emotional rollercoaster we were all on (though it was written pre-pandemic) with soothing harmonies chanting like a mantra “Count on me, if I can count on you.” The line “Let it break you. Let it help you lay down what you held on to” also resonated as many of us used the pandemic to take stock of what really matters in life. The song reached #1 on the Americana Singles chart. Its companion release “Dried Up River” is an equally emotional anthem that found its audience, despite the lockdown. It made it to #1 in the charts.
Opening for The Lone Bellow is Tow’rs, a Flagstaff-based band featuring husband and wife duo Kyle and Gretta Miller who provide winsome folk harmonies. Their songs blend personal and spiritual growth with a collective sense of neighborliness and nature. Their sound reminds me of a stripped-down version of Elephant Revival with their breezy melodies and Elysian vocals. They’ll be the perfect warm-up for a blissful night of soul-regenerating folk-rock music.
Fans of the Avett Brothers, CSNY, Lumineers, Jamestown Revival, Nathaniel Rateliff, or Watchhouse won’t want to miss this show. I will pair the evening’s music with a refreshing Yacht Rock Juice Box Hazy IPA from Proper Brewing.
- Who: The Lone Bellow w/ Tow’rs
- What: KRCL Presents: The Love Songs For Losers Tour
- Where: The Commonwealth Room
- When: February 5, 2023
- Tickets and Info: thestateroompresents.com and KRCL.org
Have you ever seen someone sprawled out at the gym? A trainer stretching them like a pretzel after a workout? Or maybe you’ve noticed massive football players on the sidelines getting an aggressive stretch before the game? It turns out this service isn’t just available to elite athletes or those who can afford personal training sessions. I recently discovered that there are places where mere mortals (like me) can get stretched out just like the pros. See, I somehow got talked into attempting to summit Kilimanjaro. As a mere mortal in preparation for this feat, I’m on an active search for anything that will improve my resilience, flexibility and endurance. Basically, I want to suffer less and actually enjoy the journey. It’s always a challenge to make time to work out and train but in my quest, I discovered StretchLab, a new business that extols the benefits of taking time (like actually making an appointment) to be deliberate about stretching, something that most of us do in a rush after a workout, if at all.
Knowing I could use some help, I visited the Sugar House studio (there are multiple locations) and had a session with Amber Alizondo, a “flexologist.” After a tour of the modern space, I was led to “the machine” (AKA a TRX MAPS). The device analyzed my movement while I performed three body-weight squats. There’s no judgment here. It’s just a benchmark of your strength and flexibility that will help you see progress (hopefully). The machine identified areas where I could improve in mobility, activation, posture and symmetry. I like measuring things and appreciated a way to see progress other than just checking for how I feel afterward.
Score in hand, Amber and I talked about my future fitness goals. With Kilimanjaro looming in my brain, we went to one of the stretch tables and got to work. I had a head-to-toe deep stretch. I can most definitely say she found the areas that need attention! “It’s all in the hips,” she chided as pulled me around like taffy. After one session, I was able to tell that assisted stretching has benefits. Like most runners and cyclists, I’m generally tight in the hips and she shared ways for me to alleviate that between sessions.
The StretchLab has a variety of stretching services to accommodate all ages and fitness levels. There are one-on-one and group-assisted sessions and a variety of membership options. StretchLab also trains its ‘flexologists’ with extensive classroom work. What I liked most about the experience was the focus it gave me on this often overlooked (or ignored) part of my fitness routine. Actually, going to the studio, and taking the time to concentrate on mobility and flexibility along with Amber’s expert advice and guidance was hugely appealing. I’ll be back.
IF YOU GO: StretchLab Sugar House (additional locations in Park City, Midvale, Bountiful, Farmington and St. George) 675 E. 2100 South, SLC 385-722-4656, stretchlab.com
Mutt is a contemplative and heartfelt drama, following a young trans man throughout New York as he reconnects with family and a former lover.
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The 2023 Sundance Film Festival jurors and audiences have voted and today the festival announced the 2023 award winners during an event at The Ray Theatre in Park City. Among the films that came out ahead in the 2023 Sundance awards is Radical, the based-on-a-true-story film about a new teacher at an underprivileged school in Mexico picked up the Festival Favorite Award. The Persian Version— film that follows multiple generations of a large Iranian-American family with a secret—received both an audience award and an award for screenwriting. As far as the films that we might soon see on streaming services or get wide release in movie theaters, films in the horror genre still seem to steal the show at Sundance.
Some 2023 Sundance films have already won big with industry deals for distribution. Some of the most lucrative deals include Netflix acquiring Fair Play and Apple TV picking up Flora and Son for about $20 million apiece. Fair Play has generated a lot of excitement at this year’s festival, writes Salt Lake’s Michael Mejia, “in part for the solid performances of its leads, Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich, as well as for its timely depiction of gender politics in a high-pressure corporate environment, where dominating everyone is the only path to success.” (Read his full review of Fair Play.)
Searchlight picked up the mockumentary Theater Camp for about $8 million, which also won a Festival award for its stellar ensemble cast. Theater Camp is an underdog story about an eponymous theater camp struggling to stay afloat, and inspire the misfit campers, after their beloved founder is hospitalized and management of the camp is transferred to her himbo son who knows nothing about theater. According to Salt Lake contributor Phillip Sevy, “what follows is a silly, heart-warming movie that succeeds on the strength and charm of its ensemble,” including Molly Gordon, Ben Platt, Noah Galvin, Jimmy Tatro, Patti Harrison and Ayo Edebiri. (Check out his full review of Theater Camp.)
Netflix also picked up Run Rabbit Run and Amazon Prime Video acquired In My Mother’s Skin, two horror standouts at this year’s festival. Director Brandon Cronenburg’s horror film Infinity Pool arrived at the festival with a distribution deal from Neon and Topic in hand, and birth/rebirth will appear on Shudder (read Salt Lake’s reviews of Infinity Pool and birth/rebirth).Talk to Me will be distributed by horror powerhouse A24. “You can sum up Danny and Michael Philippou’sTalk to Me in two words: ‘gripping horror,’” writes Salt Lake contributor Jaime Winston, alluding to a ceramic hand in the film that allows a group of teenagers to interact with, and get possessed by, a ghost. (Read his full review of Talk to Me.) A24 also made a deal prior to the festival to distribute You Hurt My Feelings starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, which is decidedly outside of the horror genre (here’s our review of You Hurt My Feelings).
The Eternal Memory picked up a Grand Jury award and was picked up by MTV Documentary Films. Other distribution deals include: A Little Prayer (Sony Pictures Classics), Passages (Mubi), Little Richard: I Am Everything (Magnolia/CNN Films) and Kokomo City (Magnolia Pictures).
2023 Sundance Grand Jury Prizes
The jury and audience-awarded prizes amplify the fearless and dynamic stories across sections, with Grand Jury Prizes awarded to A Thousand and One (U.S. Dramatic), Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project (U.S. Documentary), Scrapper (World Cinema Dramatic) and The Eternal Memory (World Cinema Documentary), and the NEXT Innovator Award went to KOKOMO CITY. Check out Salt Lake magazine’s review of The Eternal Memory. The documentary, directed by Academy Award nominee Maite Alberdi, is a deep dive into the lives of Paulina Urrutia Fernández, an actress, activist and former Minister of the National Council of Culture and the Arts of Chile, and her husband Augusto Góngora, a Chilean journalist who reported on corruption and violence during Augusto Pinochet’s presidency, who has Alzheimer’s disease.
2023 Sundance Audience Awards
Voted on by the audience, Radical was granted the Festival Favorite Award. The Persian Version (U.S. Dramatic) and Beyond Utopia (U.S. Documentary) and Shayda (World Cinema Dramatic) and 20 Days in Mariupol (World Cinema Documentary also received audience awards. Salt Lake magazine’s Jaime Winston reviews Radical, voted the Festival Favorite, based on a true story of a new sixth-grade teacher at José Urbina López Elementary in Matamoros, Mexico, one of the most underfunded and poor performing schools in the country.
2023 Sundance Awards for directing, screenwriting and editing
The Directing Award for the U.S. Documentary category was presented to Luke Lorentzen for A Still Small Voice. The Directing Award in the U.S. Dramatic competition goes to Sing J. Lee for The Accidental Getaway Driver. The Directing Award in World Cinema Documentary was presented to Anna Hints for Smoke Sauna Sisterhood. The Directing Award in the World Cinema Dramatic competition was presented to Marija Kavtaradze for Slow. The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award was presented to Maryam Keshavarz for The Persian Version. The Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award was presented to Daniela I. Quiroz for Going Varsity in Mariachi (U.S. Documentary).
2023 Sundance Special Jury Awards
A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Creative Vision was presented to Sofia Alaoui for Animalia, her feature film debut. The film follows Itto, a pregnant woman in Morocco from humble beginnings, who first adjusts to a new life among the wealthy and then a world invaded by aliens. Salt Lake magazine contributor Michael Mejia says, rather than a pure sci-fi or horror film, “Animalia reveals itself as a thoughtful, politically and ethically engaged imagining of the erasure of human dominance, of human motives, of the corrupt, or corrupted, nature of humanity.” Read his full review of Animalia.
A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for best Ensemble was presented to the cast of Theater Camp. A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Creative Vision was presented to the creative team of Magazine Dreams. A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting was presented to Lio Mehiel for Mutt. A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Clarity of Vision was presented to The Stroll. A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Freedom of Expression was presented to Bad Press. A World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Creative Vision was presented to Fantastic Machine. A World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Verite Filmmaking was presented to Against the Tide. A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Cinematography was presented to Lílis Soares for Mami Wata. A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Best Performance was presented to Rosa Marchant for When It Melts.
The award-winning films will screen in-person and online on Saturday, January 28, and Sunday, January 29. Tickets for award-screening films are available.
In the opening scene of The Starling Girl, 17-year-old Jem Starling, looks up at the sky and prays that people will see God through her and her actions. It’s a prayer of consecration and earnest desire to live her life in such a way that shows her devotion to her god. And that’s the central question at the heart of the film. Is living our lives truly and authentically a celebration of God’s creation or do we have to forfeit our lives in service to God’s other creatures?
Jem lives in a community that will seem eerily familiar to those of us who live in Utah. It’s a high-demand, fundamental religious community that allows for no other connections outside of the church. At 17 years old, she is on the precipice of “fulfilling her purpose” in life—i.e., getting married and having children. Modesty culture is heavily enforced. Public shaming happens regularly to keep people scared of stepping out of line. Music is controlled. Dance is monitored. Everything must be done with God and the church at the center. Any deviation is not tolerated and is excoriated as Satan’s control. Smoking and drinking are not allowed. Secularism is the greatest threat that could get between one’s self and God. Weighing heavily on the film is the idea that any action or thought that considers the well-being of one’s self is “selfish” and therefore cuts one off from God. The only way to be closer to God is to sacrifice any sense of self in service of others but mostly in service of their church.
It’s against this stifling backdrop of control and dehumanization that Jem struggles to serve the two masters of happiness, love and fulfillment as well as the church. No one asks her what she wants in life. No one cares about her as a person. She is only her role. Until she meets Owen Taylor, the pastor’s older son who has just returned with his wife from a Missionary trip to Puerto Rico. Owen has experience outside of their small Kentucky town. He has ideas about how to find God and who God is that challenge the existing narrative of control and shame. He sees Jem as a person when they talk. He asks questions about who she is and what she wants to do. He proposes the idea that living our lives as we want—doing what brings us joy—is the highest form of worship. He gives her an avenue for consciousness and awakening—mentally, sexually, and spiritually. Everything that burns between them challenges everything she knows about God and yet she’s never felt more alive and closer to God.
The Starling Girl hinges on that relationship and the dangers and freedom it brings. It’s a quiet, simple movie, grounded in restrained but incredible performances. Eliza Scanlen brings a fiery defiant light to Jem’s eyes, carrying the film in every scene. She’s a powerhouse of an actress and never once lets you forget the strength Jem carries inside her, regardless of how everything and everyone in her life is a threat to her happiness. Lewis Pullman portrays Owen and brings a quiet warmth and charm. The film doesn’t try to obscure the troubling power dynamics between the two or the fact that Jem is still a teenager while he’s in his late twenties. But the film doesn’t try to make a bold statement, either. It sets up the problematic and uneven social structures between men and women in this community to help us understand that even while rebelling against these confines, Owen and Jem still live within them.
Jimmi Simpson plays Jem’s father—a man struggling to live a religious life while haunted by the ghost of his former life of fulfillment, success and fame that he gave up for God. A choice of self-sacrifice that has left him broken, drinking and taking pills in not-so secret. Wrenn Schmidt plays Jem’s mother—a woman whose entire existence is threatened by the struggles of her husband and oldest daughter. She is willing to sacrifice those relationships to reassure and validate her place in her small, confined and limited community.
The Starling Girl is the feature directorial debut of writer/director Laurel Parmet. Parmet developed the script in the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program years back. Parmet’s work is sublime, understated and deeply affecting. She lets her camera hang on her actors and allow them to be in a scene, never rushing moments or lingering too long. The movie feels so real that its quiet, powerful moments are almost lost at times in the naturalistic flow of life.
The result is a coming-of-age story that is incredibly specific but grounded in a world we all understand and see everyday. And though it didn’t come into the festival with the same level of buzz other features had, The Starling Girl is one of the best films of the festival. A meticulously crafted, reserved film that reminds us of the importance and power of independent cinema. It is a moving, indelible and subtle film that shows us that the most radical, most defiant and most disruptive thing we can do to systems of control is to live our life authentically and honestly. The film gently asserts that if we are creations of a loving god, then he created us to be happy.
The Starling Girl premiered in the U.S. Dramatic competition at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
