Sundance Pulls Stars Down to Earth

via imdb

Who are those troublemakers covered in dirt making noise on the Sundance screen? It’s our favorite Spanish-speaking hotties, Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal of course! The two have teamed up for a new indie flick called Rudo y Cursi. And really, you can’t go wrong putting those two on the big screen together (Y Tu Mama Tambien anyone?) The film, directed by Carlos Cuaron, is about two brothers who work as manual laborers in rural, lower class Mexico. It follows their journey from nobodies to professional soccer players. While honoring soccer, the cultural phenomenon of much of the Latino world, the film also touches on many existing class tensions in the country.

This year’s Sundance Film Festival was filled with CGG’s favorite stars like Diego and Gael. It also shed light on some of our favorite causes. The event, which began on January 15th and spread over ten days, marked the festival’s 25th anniversary. CGG loves Sundance because it promotes independent and documentary films that aren't big budget Hollywood style. Yet some of our favorite stars from the big time films take the time to work on independent projects all the time.

Funny-man Chris Rock showed up to the festival to show his "funny documentary" Good Hair. The doc is all about how good hair plays such a significant role in African-American culture. We see what crazy lengths (no pun intended) black women will go to for “good hair” and what “good hair” even means. But the film is not just poking fun, though with any Chris Rock project you are in for some serious laughs. Good Hair also raises serious questions about identity and equality among black women who feel they need to look a certain way in order to fit into white society.

Sting was singing a more serious tune: save the rain forests! He came out to jam and promote Joe Berlinger's new film Crude. The film tells the story of Ecuador residents who claim that oil producer Chevron Corp. is liable for contaminating water supplies around the headwaters of the Amazon River. Sting and his wife Trudie Styler are founders of the Rainforest Foundation, so they were eager to get involved with the film. The film chronicles Styler's trip to Ecuador and includes footage of Sting performing with the Police at last summer's Live Earth music marathon on behalf of global-warming issues. "I think it's a great battle to fight," said Sting.

Indie projects and documentary films are a great way to keep up to date on current issues and Sundance usually features some of the best. But remember CGG readers, you don’t have to just sit in the theater. Show a film with a cause you care about at your school. Or you can get up, get out and make a film for yourself!