Sundance social thriller 'Luce' asks tough questions about race, expectations and privilege

PARK CITY, Utah - The African American valedictorian of a wealthy, mostly white and proudly progressive community in Arlington, Va., lands under the microscope when a school assignment triggers warning bells for his teacher and adoptive parents in the electrifying Sundance entry "Luce."

But it's America that's truly being scrutinized - and the audience who are being asked to question their own assumptions - in filmmaker Julius Onah's provocative "social thriller," adapted from a play by JC Lee.

"We want to believe that we're all fair and equal and progressive, for a lot of us who are liberals - but in so many ways we're not aware of our own blind spots," said Onah from Park City, where "Luce" premiered Sunday in U.S. dramatic competition. "And that, I think, is part of the reason we're in such a