Online Sundance Opens to Virtual Ovation for Deaf Drama

Critics praised Emilia Jones' "breakout" performance in Sundance Film Festival opener "CODA". AFP
Critics praised Emilia Jones' "breakout" performance in Sundance Film Festival opener "CODA". AFP
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Online Sundance Opens to Virtual Ovation for Deaf Drama

Critics praised Emilia Jones' "breakout" performance in Sundance Film Festival opener "CODA". AFP
Critics praised Emilia Jones' "breakout" performance in Sundance Film Festival opener "CODA". AFP

The Sundance Film Festival, forced online this year by the pandemic, quietly opened to a virtual "standing ovation" for deaf family drama "CODA" Thursday.

Taking its title from an acronym for child of deaf adult, "CODA" follows high-school teen Ruby (Emilia Jones) as she juggles her musical ambitions with her family's dependence on her to communicate with the "hearing" world.

The first in-competition film to stream for remote attendees of the prestigious indie festival, it drew immediate rave reviews, with Variety calling it "tender, lively, funny, and beautifully stirring," and Deadline praising a "breakout performance" from Jones ("Locke & Key.")

"I would say it's the equivalent of a standing ovation," Sundance programming director Kim Yutani told the cast as she hosted an online Q&A immediately after its streaming premiere ended.

The unusual debut is a world away from the flashy, red-carpet screenings and after-parties Sundance typically holds each January high in the Utah mountains, where Hollywood migrates to watch and cut deals for the coming year's hottest indie titles.

Sundance organizers have this year invited industry types to "trade in your snow boots for slippers," and created networking events for filmmakers to mingle with audiences in "avatar" based chat rooms and virtual-reality cinemas.

"We had a choice to make -- we could cancel or move the festival," said director Tabitha Jackson, opening the festival Thursday.

"Or we could take a risk and imagine a way to recreate the energy of the full festival experience digitally," she added.

"CODA" was based on French 2014 comedy "La Famille Belier," transplanted to the US fishing town of Gloucester by director and Massachusetts native Sian Heder ("Orange is the New Black.")

Both Heder and Jones learned sign language for the film, which features several prominent deaf actors in lead roles including Oscar-winner Marlee Matlin ("Children of a Lesser God.")

"This film has changed my life forever," said Jones, who told the virtual audience she was continuing to learn the "beautiful" language.

The movie employed real CODAs on set as translators where needed, and Heder said she hopes the film will inspire Hollywood to make more disability-focused films.

"We are hungry to hear new stories that we haven't heard... this is a world of new stories, in the disability world," she said.

Thursday also saw the premiere of "Summer of Soul (...Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)," musician Questlove's first movie about the huge "Black Woodstock" festival that took place in 1969 Harlem.

The documentary brings to light never-before-seen footage of the star-studded concert which was attended by 300,000 people and featured Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone and Mahalia Jackson, but has largely been lost to history until now.

Questlove -- real name Ahmir Thompson -- deftly mixes euphoric concert scenes with historical background on "a pivotal year for Black and brown people all over the country" and a range of high-profile interviews.

Music "was the therapy for the stress and pressure of being black in America," recalls Al Sharpton, who reminisces in the film alongside Jesse Jackson and Mavis Staples. "We didn't know anything about therapists, we knew Mahalia Jackson."

Some 72 feature films will screen at the festival co-founded by Robert Redford, which runs through to February 3.



Billy Idol on His First Album in over a Decade, the Rock Hall and More

Billy Idol performs during the Vive Latino music festival in Mexico City, Saturday, March 16, 2024. (AP)
Billy Idol performs during the Vive Latino music festival in Mexico City, Saturday, March 16, 2024. (AP)
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Billy Idol on His First Album in over a Decade, the Rock Hall and More

Billy Idol performs during the Vive Latino music festival in Mexico City, Saturday, March 16, 2024. (AP)
Billy Idol performs during the Vive Latino music festival in Mexico City, Saturday, March 16, 2024. (AP)

When Billy Idol first entered American consciousness in the early '80s, leather-clad and bleached hair in tow, he not only brought a punk rock sound to the mainstream. The Englishman brought a new attitude, a new, rebellious way of being.

In the time since, songs like “White Wedding,” “Rebel Yell” and “Eyes Without a Face” have become instant classics — for those who've worn a spiky jacket and those who've only imagined what it might be like.

Now, over four decades later, he's got the wisdom to reflect. It's led to a new documentary about his life, “Billy Idol Should Be Dead,” which will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival — and a new album, the polished punk-pop of “Dream Into It.”

“It was a gradual process, really,” he said of the 11-year span between albums. “It wasn’t so much that we didn’t want to make an album, it was more like we were building up to doing this.”

Idol discussed with The Associated Press this week his new album and forthcoming documentary, his past struggles with addiction, his first-ever Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination and more.

Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity.

AP: You've described “Dream Into It” as autobiographical. I thought your last album, 2014's “Kings & Queens of the Underground,” pulled from your life as well.

IDOL: Being this age, in particular, 69, when you look back, you can really see your whole life, how it plays out. And maybe it’s also having grandchildren. My children are having children.

You sort of reach this vantage point where you can really look back and see all the sort of different eras of my life. And you can sing about it. And I think I didn’t go deep enough with the songs I did on “Kings and Queens.” I thought lyrically I could go deeper. That’s one of those regrets I had about the last album. So I really went for it, and I went for more imagery, (on ‘Dream Into It,’ in the) way of talking about my life. I’m not spelling it out exactly.

AP: There are a lot of rock ‘n’ roll women on the album. Joan Jett, Avril Lavigne and The Kills' Alison Mosshart are all featured.

IDOL: (Mosshart's) voice is just incredible. And of course, Joan Jett, I’ve known since 1978 after a Germs/Dead Kennedys concert. We hung out in Los Angeles. I was on a Generation X promotion tour for the first album. And then Avril, I mean, I’ve just been watching her career forever and she’s fantastic. So, it was just great.

AP: The documentary has an evocative title, “Billy Idol Should Be Dead.” It sounds like it may dive into your past struggles with addiction.

IDOL: There was a point in my life when I was living like every day, like, “Live every day as if it’s your last.” One day, you’re going to be right.

In the '70s, in England, you know, young people, we had this feeling that we were being completely ignored. You were even being told that you had no future. And so, we just didn’t think beyond the day-to-day existence. It was probably only when I really started having children and stuff like that, I really starting to realize I (should) try start to give up drugs and things.

I’ve always flirted with death, in a way. Even riding motorcycles, you’re staring at the concrete. It’s right there, you can come off that thing and get horribly messed up. And I’ve done it. It’s horrible. You find out how human you are, how vulnerable. There’s lots of things about my life that, yeah, I did kind of call death at times. Not really mean to, but you just were living like that.

Imagine if it was today. If I was doing what I was back then today, I would be dead because I would have run into fentanyl.

AP: You're nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for the first time. Do you think your younger punk rock self would be excited?

IDOL: I do sort of think about Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry and Little Richard. “And what? Are you going to be in something with those guys?” You know, Buddy Holly. These are some of the seminal people who turned on the people that turned me on, you know? Somewhere down the road, it led to punk rock.

Also, my motorcycle has been in the Rock & Roll of Fame for like five years. So I might as well be in it, too.