Michael Winterbottom kicked off his time to a rough reception, but Thursday night’s screening of "The Shock Doctrine" gave him the opportunity to conclude his time in Park City on a high note.
While the Sunday night premiere of Winterbottom’s brutal adaptation of the 1950s novel "The Killer Inside Me" ended with a hostile Q&A and days of negative buzz, his other Sundance entry yielded a highly supportive reaction.
"Shock Doctrine," which premiered on VOD following its screening, takes its cues from Naomi Klein’s book of the same name. The movie highlights the American government’s secretive tendency to push certain agendas in the wake of both natural and economic crisis. Co-directed by Mat Whitecross, "Shock Doctrine" premiered at the Eccles Theater on Thursday, where the credits were met by an ecstatic reaction.
Following the screening, Winterbottom and Whitecross participated in a panel with Klein and Robert Redford, pushing the message of the film and constantly receiving enthusiastic applause from the audience.
Winterbottom, who leaves Park City tomorrow, looks like he might make it through the "Killer" controversy with his reputation intact.
Here’s the director chatting with his co-panelists during the Q&A:
