The Latest News from Deseret

The Latest News from Deseret is an experimental non-fiction film about the history of Utah between 1992 and 2024, a period of radical transformation in the political, social and ecological history of Utah, and a period of dramatic change in the technologies and art of filmmaking. The Latest News is a sequel to James Benning＇s classic avant-garde film Deseret (1995), which recounted a history of Utah from 1852 to 1992.

The Latest News consists of 50 stories from the New York Times published between 1992 and 2024, each condensed to roughly 5 to 7 sentences. These stories form the text of the film＇s voiceover. Each sentence has one corresponding shot and sound clip. And each 5 to 7 sentence story is separated by a single shot accompanied by no narration. The result is a brief history of contemporary Utah, a tour of Utah＇s varied landscapes, a history of the journalistic style of the New York Times, a reinterpretation of Benning＇s work, and a reflection on the current prospects of avant-garde cinema. Shot in 4k and 8k video, with digital stereo sound, the film is visually stunning and sonically rich.