It's Cold in Them Thar Hills
I've been very verbose the last few days so I'll be briefer today. The Sundance Film Festival is held in Park City, Utah every January. That's the heart of winter and Park City is in the heart of gorgeous ski country. (It was the site of the Winter Olympics in 2002.) So, it's beautiful but chilly.
It's important to secure lodging early (you may already be too late to find anything remotely reasonable) because you don't want to be driving from 30 miles away when the weather is bad. Not to mention the fact you want to be in the heart of the action! I've had really good luck with Deer Valley Lodging. The goal is to find something on or near the shuttle routes. You want to get to the screenings quickly and find your way home easily.
Which brings me to my last bit of advice for today. DON'T rent a car unless you plan on going up to the Institute. The town is TINY and parking is virtually impossible. You will get around town FASTER on the shuttles. Plus, you meet some really interesting people on the shuttle. I met folks like Oliver Stone, Alyssa Milano and Todd Solondz on the shuttles.
"There is a LIE at the heart of every BELIEF."
Cynthia Greening (1956 - )
College Professor and Independent Filmmaker
"With most men, unbelief in one thing springs from blind belief in another."
Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742 - 1799)
German Physicist
Comments
No, I'm not time traveling. I just wanted to see your original and potentially quotable quotation.
It's quite clever, but isn't it a bit cynical for a girl from Wisconsin? Has anyone challenged you on this observation about belief? What about a belief in the innate goodness of humankind? While some humans do indeed disappoint on that score, does the "badness" of people constitute a lie at the heart of that belief?
Posted by: Brenda on August 14, 2004 10:45 AM
Cynical? No. Clever? Yes.
DICTIONARY.COM defines BELIEF as (1) the mental act, condition, or habit of placing trust or confidence in another and (2) the mental acceptance of and conviction in the truth, actuality, or validity of something.
Therein lies the LIE. There is no innate truth, only the conviction and acceptance of it. So, in reality, there is no innate goodness of humankind, only the conviction of it. This leads directly to the disappointment.
The second quote illustrates the problem beautifully, "Unbelief springs from blind belief." Blind belief is the absolute adherence to "truth" which is is not absolute.
In reality, the LIE is my personal observation that when people BELIEVE something, they believe it is TRUE and adhere to it at all costs (witness G.W. Bush and his messianic belief in his power to lead because he has been given the truth by God) ... they are then unable to see the other points of view, the other truths. The come to think the only truth is their own. They are unable to see that their beliefs are not the only valid beliefs.
Posted by: Cyndi on August 15, 2004 03:06 PM