Sundance 2026 | "The Lake" Is A Great Documentary About The Dire State of The Great Lake

As a Utah resident and a moviegoer, it piques my interest to find stories that reside in the crossroads between these two aspects of my interests. Therefore, the World Premiere of The Lake at Sundance this year had all of my attention going into the festival. The Lake delivers an urgent message that everyone - be it documentary enthusiasts, Utah residents, environmentalists, and beyond - should be paying attention to.

The Lake is a documentary directed by Abby Ellis about the pending environmental crisis in the state of Utah. Two scientists and a politician work urgently to prevent an unprecedented catastrophe: the dwindling lifespan of the iconic and essential Great Salt Lake.

The documentary is an eye-opening experience about how the lake has shrunk over time due to climate change and water usage. Utah relies mainly on snowfall for its community water source. Due to climate change and warming environment, the Great Salt Lake has shrunk drastically in the past 30 years, exposing some of the lake bed’s poisonous arsenic dust. This dust gets kicked up into the air and blown into valley below, exposing over 1 million residents to poor air quality. The problem only exacerbates as the lake bed gets more exposed.

The doc is so eye opening because it almost plays like a race against time thriller. Even if the race against time is 30+ years down the road, it details how the actions we enact now will decide whether the lake fully dries up or not. The other component I found interesting was the focus on Governor Spencer Cox who has a vested interest in alfalfa farms, which use up to 60% of the states entire water use. So the question then comes into view, whether our political leadership will act meaningfully or if their own interests come into conflict.

The Lake is a documentary that’s going to stick with me as Utah continues to grapple with the impending fate of one of our greatest resources. While this may not be a film that is poised to make an awards run or win Oscars, this spotlight on a local issue framed as a political thriller certainly deserves as much attention as it can get. The fate of a once great lake may very well depend on it.