One of the most exciting things about starting each year with the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. Captivating stories, soon-to-be iconic shots, and timely cinematic conversations are all cornerstones of the 2023 Festival slate - and those are all birthed from the hearts and souls of these filmmakers. That means that this year we have the privilege of being introduced (or reintroduced for returning filmmakers) to the artists behind 111 features, 64 shorts, and four indie episodic projects.And while we learn a lot from the art that these storytellers share with us, there's always more we can learn about these filmmakers as people. This year, we decided to get to the bottom of those artistic wells with our Backstory questionnaire! I can't answer that. It's like choosing a favorite child, says director Tracy Droz Tragos when asked what her favorite film is to come out of the Sundance Institute or Festival. I have been moved by so many different films that I have loved in so many different ways - whether it's Hoop Dreams, The Station Agent, The Squid and the Whale, Winter's Bone, Restrepo, The Cove, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, or Nanny I could seriously go on and on.
Tragos' relationship with Sundance Institute goes far beyond that of an admirer. Her documentary Rich Hill (co-directed with Andrew Droz Palermo) was supported by the Institute's Documentary Film Program and Catalyst before going on to win the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. In January 2023, Tragos returned to the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, with her new film, PLAN C.
Tragos' timely documentary follows Francine Coeytaux, an abortion rights activist and public health specialist, and her team - Plan C - as they seek to distribute abortion pills to those whose access has been limited by restrictive abortion laws. Below, discover what inspired Tragos to make the film, what challenges the project faced along the way, and why this story needs to be told now.
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