In addition to the six screenings of Traces of the Trade at the official Sundance Film Festival, a few films were selected to be shown to high school students in Salt Lake City. Traces was one of the special few. Several members of the Traces team went to Salt Lake this morning to be present with 250+ students who watched the film.
I was concerned that a group of high school students would be too intimidated by potential judgment by their peers to engage in public conversation. It took very few moments after the lights came up before the questions began; the thoughtful, concerned, deep, engaged questions. “Utah is such a white state. How does this story fit in here?” “What can we do in our schools to make a difference?”
I am so enthused when I meet with students. They pay attention. They are engaged. They are hungry for the conversation. As much as each audience so far has been touched by the film and has been interested and involved in the conversation that followed, today’s screening for high school students was exceedingly special. It gives me continued faith in our future.