“Please, let it all out. That’s what I’m here for.” In The Listener, directed by Steve Buscemi, we eavesdrop on callers to an emotional support helpline. I view such services (and I have volunteered at one many years ago) as emotional first-aid. That is not meant to...
“How do I know what I want? But my future is not bleak.” Yuni, from Kamila Andini, is a coming-of-age story that deals with the conflict between personal aspirations and societal expectations. These are issues in nearly all cultures, but they seemed to be heightened...
“These are not just pictures; they are testimonies that will live forever.” I remember that, decades ago, I would enjoy looking through National Geographic magazines. I rarely read the text, but would often be enthralled by the photographs. They might have been...
A family living an idyllic life in the Norwegian countryside cherishes their freedom. When their world is turned upside down, they must deal with life in new ways. Silje Evensmo Jacobsen’s A New Kind of Wilderness is an intimate study of a family dealing with grief,...
“You’re special. You’re worthy. You’re you.” Love can be a difficult thing to define. The same is true with knowing who or what we are. Love Me, from Sam and Andy Zuchero, is a romcom that spans billions of years. It begins long after life on earth has ended. It gives...
“God isn’t civilized. God is chaos. Life is chaos.” I look at The Promised Land as the story of the Garden of Eden in negative. Directed by Nikolaj Arcel from a script by Anders Thomas Jensen (who often brings a theological sensitivity to his stories), the film tells...
Animated shorts may make us think of cartoons, but often they are much more. This year’s Oscar® nominated shorts come from around the world and all provide food for thought and contemplation. The nominated short films play in select theaters each year. Locations and...
Live action shorts are like watching a regular movie, except the stories are told in a lot less time. Not all stories take one and a half (or three plus) hours to tell. That doesn’t make them any less significant. The five nominees for Best Live Action Short Film...
Often overlooked at Oscar® time are the three short film categories. One of those categories is Documentary Short Film. These films offer us insights into the world around us. They may be focused on controversial topics or on uplifting stories or just meeting...