Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Sarah Dowland, the Filmmaker Behind Sue Bird: In The Clutch

By Lucy Spicer

One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. While we can learn a lot about the filmmakers from the 2024 Sundance Film Festival through the art that these storytellers share with us, there's always more we can learn about them as people. This year, we decided to get to the bottom of those artistic wells with our ongoing series: Give Me the Backstory!

Sue Bird is one of the most decorated players in basketball history - men's or women's. She should be a household name like LeBron James or Steph Curry, says filmmaker Sarah Dowland. With five Olympic gold medals, four WNBA championships, and a slew of other accolades, Sue Bird had an undeniably impressive career before her retirement in 2022 - and Dowland is doing her part to tell the world about it with her documentary Sue Bird: In The Clutch, which screened in the Premieres section at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

The film was an opportunity to tell more people about her prolific career and to show how she did it. Before Sue, there was no blueprint for having a professional career in women's basketball spanning 21 seasons, says Dowland. The legacy of that is one of the greatest gifts to future generations of ballers. But the film is about more than Sue's athletic prowess. I was intrigued by Sue's personal journey off the court as well, adds the director. Through her journey as a leader and advocate for women's sports, equality, and LGBTQ+ rights, we are showing her role in a larger global movement for female rights and recognition.

Dowland's resulting film is a dynamic sports doc about an introspective player - it's part highlight reel, part meditation on advocacy and legacy. In the making of this film, it was abundantly clear to me that Sue has broad appeal. Wherever she goes, boys and girls, dads, moms, ballers, regular folks, and celebrities all gravitate to her, she explains. This is a feel-good story about a person that will make you feel good. You don't have to follow basketball or even be into sports to relate to her and her journey.

Read on to learn more about Dowland, including her favorite part of making Sue Bird: In The Clutch and her top guiding principle for cinematic storytelling.

LINK:	https://www.sundance.org/blogs/give-me-the-backstory-get-to-know-sarah...
	See more stories from sundance

More from Sundance Institute