Mara Theodoropoulou writes
Robert Redford was, without a doubt, one of the biggest legends of American cinema. As an actor, it was the Golden Boy with the political view. As a director, he gave depth and seriousness to a Hollywood that had turned more on the spectacle than in essence.
However, despite his interpretations of all the president's people and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and the Oscar that won 1981 for ordinary people, his biggest contribution to cinema came behind the camera and far from the city of dreams.
It happened on the hillsides of Utah, where Redford quietly and persistently reformed the soul of American cinema itself.
The establishment of the Sundance Institute in 1981, and the Sundance Film Festival that emerged from it, was not just a charity or self -promotion venture. It was a radical intervention in a film industry that had almost abandoned the risk, essence and curiosity about the unknown. Redford saw a generation of creators who did not fit into the mold of the big studios. They had no room to express themselves and decided to make them one. Not just to appear, but to grow, to recognize and most importantly feel that they belong somewhere.
At a time when independent cinema almost had no name, Redford gave him an identity. The most important thing, however, is that he gave him a future. The Sundance Festival became the test field for directors who would change the movie map, such as Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderberg, Paul Thomas Anderson, Damien Sazel, Ryan Kugler, Clai Zao, Clai Zao. Long before these directors became recognizable, they were unknown names whose low budget films were screened in the snowy park City, trying to find their opportunity. Redford didn't just give them visibility. He gave them credibility.
He understood something basic that Hollywood had forgotten: that the voices of the margin often produce the most important work. The Sundance Labs were not only about the discovery of talents, but also their cultivation, their development, their trust in them. That is why Redford stood out from the rest of the "benefactors" of the industry. He did not want to play the role of a culture guard. He wanted to open the doors and take a step back.
Sundans became synonymous with independent cinema in the US. He gained prestige and influence because Redford insisted on remaining faithful to his original values: artistic integrity, variety of voices and freedom of creation. And he did not hesitate even when the success of the festival attracted commercial interests. Contrary to others, he resisted the full commercialization of Sundance, even when the money knocked on the door. It was not perfect, but the purpose was clear: Sundance was never going to become a smaller Hollywood.
Redford's death not only marks the loss of a cinematic image, but is also the end of an era, in which one person could radically change the course of an industry with his perseverance and faith. Independent cinema in America may have appeared without him, but it would certainly be very different. Less organized. Less supported. Less visible.
In the end, Robert Redford did not just made films. He created space for voices that did not have a step, for stories that seemed to have no place, for one side of the American cinema that could be bold and at the same time familiar. His legacy is not only in the films he starred or directed. It is also found in those that helped others to make.
He described it better in his earlier interview: "There is nothing more enjoyable for me than creating something that will create opportunities for other people to keep something alive. When mainstream begins to tighten and turn to what it thinks it will make money, things are limited and you lose some of the most experimental films. I can't describe how exciting it is for me to see people entering this new category - actors, directors, whoever they are - and succeed. When I see someone like Ryan Kugler with the Fruitvale Station ... this was developed in our workshop. He went through 3-4 different directions with the script. It was hard work. Seeing these people growing up and succeeding is exciting. This is my real reward. "
And there may be no bigger role than him.
Popaganda
