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Oscar nominated

This Year’s Oscar Nominated Short Docs

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Short films can be good training for future filmmakers, or they can be an artform in themselves. Each year the Academy awards Oscars to three short films: Best Animated Short, Best Live Action Short, and Best Documentary (Short Subject). The nominees for these categories come from around the world and represent excellence, just as all the other films nominated for Oscars do. Each year, prior to the awards, there are programs of the short films that play in select theaters around the country. To see where you can catch one or more of these programs, check Shorts.tv.

The category of Best Documentary (Short Subject) is probably the shorts category that is most available to viewers in that many of these films stream or have played on public TV. Here is my take of the films nominated for Best Documentary (Short Subject) this year.

Audible. (40 minutes, USA). A football player and his friends at the Maryland School for the Deaf struggle with the end of a winning streak, the suicide of a friend, relationships, and facing going into the world. Director Matt Ogens gives us a coming-of-age story that is at once universal and specific. For more on this film, see my review from its Netflix release. Audible is available to stream on Netflix.

Lead Me Home. (40 minutes, USA). Homelessness has reached emergency proportions in many places. Directors Pedro Kos and John Shenk takes us to L.A., San Francisco, and Seattle to see into some of the encampments and shelters and to meet a few of the unhoused people and hear their stories and struggles. On any given night, half a million people in America experience homelessness. The film is a good way of putting these people in front of us. Solutions, of course, would take far more than a short film to examine. Lead Me Home is available to stream on Netflix.

The Queen of Basketball. (22 minutes, USA). Lusia Harris was the greatest woman basketball player of her time. In college she won three national championships. She scored the first basket ever in Olympic women’s basketball (and won a silver medal). She was drafted in the seventh round by the NBA’s New Orleans Jazz—the first woman officially drafted in the NBA. She was the first Black woman inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. But so few people know about her. Director Ben Proudfoot allows Lucy to narrate her own story along with archival clips. There was no WNBA at the time, so she had nowhere to go after college, which created problems. [Lusia Harris died in January of this year.]

Three Songs for Benazir. (22 minutes, Afghanistan). Shaista is recently married and trying to find a way to make a living in the displaced persons camps of Kabul. He would like to join the National Army, but his family won’t agree to care for his wife or offer the guarantees required by the Army. HIs only other option is to take part in the poppy harvest. It is a reminder of the difficult lives people faced during the war in Afghanistan. Three Songs for Benazir is available to stream on Netflix.

When We Were Bullies. (36 minutes, USA/Germany). Director Jay Rosenblatt recalls an incident from fifth grade in Brooklyn when he took part in bullying a classmate. Looking back fifty years later, he contacts other former classmates and their teacher for their recollections. The film is both a study in the dynamics that lead children to bully each other, and a way of working through his guilt for his part in the event.

My favorites among these films are When We Were Bullies (which was my favorite short from the AFI Docs festival) because it reminds me of the ways I bullied and was bullied at that age, and Lead Me Home for making homelessness not just the tent encampments we drive by, but the people in those tents.

Photos courtesy of Shorts.tv.

This Year’s Oscar Nominated Animated Shorts

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Short films can be good training for future filmmakers, or they can be an artform in themselves. Each year the Academy awards Oscars to three short films: Best Animated Short, Best Live Action Short, and Best Documentary Short. The nominees for these categories come from around the world and represent excellence, just as all the other films nominated for Oscars do. Each year, prior to the awards, there are programs of the short films that play in select theaters around the country. To see where you can catch one or more of these programs, check Shorts.tv.

Here is a look at the five animated shorts that have been nominated, and my quick take on them.

Affairs of the Art. (16 minutes, UK/Canada). This is a look at a middle-aged woman who is trying to come to terms with a changing body and her desire to do art.  This is one of a series of shorts that director Joanna Quinn has done focusing on the central character of Beryl. It’s a humorous look at the obsessions that can drive our lives in many ways. The artwork is very well done and it makes for an entertaining look at mid-life crisis.

Bestia. (17 minutes, Chile). Directed by Hugo Covarrubias, this is a dark and at times twisted look at the life of a secret police agent during the time of Chile’s military dictatorship. It is interesting to use what seems like a China doll as the main character—the contrast between the outer appearance and the actions that she takes part in. The political message speaks to the dangers of authoritarian rule and the self-destruction that it can bring.

Boxballet. (16 minutes, Russia). This is a sweet romance, directed by Anton Dyakov, of two very different people: a huge, hulking boxer and a thin young ballerina. Is it an example of opposites attracting, or is it the story of wounded souls who can heal each other? This short also speaks to the #metoo issues that can sometimes be found in the arts. It’s a pleasant film that reminds us of the importance of love in our lives.

Robin Robin (31 minutes, UK). The film is directed by Dan Ojari and Mikey Please. When an egg falls from its nest just before it’s hatched, the young bird is adopted by a mouse family. When grown, the bird is something of a hindrance when on raids into nearby houses. When she sets out to prove herself, she encounters a curmudgeonly magpie who dreams of having a star from a Christmas tree, and a cat who is set on eating Robin. This is a story of finding out who we really are and what it means to be family. Pleasant enough, but perhaps a tad long. Robin Robin is available to watch on Netflix.

The Windshield Wiper. (15 minutes, Spain). Directed by Alberto Mielgo, this film is built around the question, “What is Love?” What follows is a collection of vignettes which the filmmaker has seen in various places around the world. They vary from humorous (two people in a grocery store so intent on their dating apps that they don’t notice the person next to them) to the tragic (a young girl leaping off a building). This is a very broad and important question, and the various scenes we see all speak to it from a wide range of perspectives.

Of course, all of these are excellent films (hence their Oscar nominations). My favorites among them are Boxballet for its simple love story, and The Windshield Wiper for its complex look at love.

Photos courtesy of Shorts.tv.

This Year’s Oscar Nominated Live Action Shorts

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Short films can be good training for future filmmakers, or they can be an artform in themselves. Each year the Academy awards Oscars to three short films: Best Animated Short, Best Live Action Short, and Best Documentary Short. The nominees for these categories come from around the world and represent excellence, just as all the other films nominated for Oscars do. Each year, prior to the awards, there are programs of the short films that play in select theaters around the country. To see where you can catch one or more of these programs, check Shorts.tv.

Here is my take on the films nominated for Best Live Action Short Film this year.

Ala Kachuu (Take and Run). (38 minutes, Switzerland/Kyrgyzstan). Sezim, a 19 year old young woman, runs away from her small village in Kyrgyzstan to study in the city. There she is kidnapped off the street and taken to another village where she is forced into a marriage with her kidnapper. The villagers all seem to think this is the way things are supposed to be. Even her parents, when they find out, approve of this. Is she doomed to this life, or will she find an escape? The film, directed by Maria Brendle, reminds us that many women face this kind of marriage by kidnapping each year.

On My Mind, (18 minutes, Denmark). A somewhat disheveled man come into a bar. The curmudgeonly owner really doesn’t want to open, but the kindly bartender pours him a drink. The man sees the karaoke machine and asks for it to be turned on. He wants to sing a song for his wife. He HAS TO SING a song for his wife. Director Martin Strange-Hansen takes what seems like a bleak interaction in the bar turns into a story of tenderness and deep love.

Please Hold. (19 Minutes, USA). Director K. D. Dávila has created a Kafkaesque view of the justice system. When a young man is arrested by a drone, he finds himself in an automated and privatized jail. He doesn’t read the fine print on the terms and conditions for using the phone (who ever reads that stuff?) and ends up with no money to make any calls. His automated private defender wants him to take a plea bargain, but the guy doesn’t even know why he’s been arrested. Is there a way out?

The Dress. (30 minutes, Poland). Julia, a dwarf who works as a motel maid, yearns for love and sexuality. When she meets a truckdriver who seems interested in her, she begins to fantasize and fret over their next meeting. Director Tadeusz Łysiac takes the film through various shifts in Julia’s emotional state leading up to that meeting.

The Long Goodbye. (12 minutes, UK). As Riz and his family are preparing for a wedding celebration, their world is suddenly torn apart by the onset of a racist/nationalist group that takes them all into custody. Is it an official policy, or are the authorities just turning a blind eye to what is happening? With the rise in such nationalism and supremist movements in so many places, this film, directed by Aneil Karia, reminds us that our neighbors may often feel an insecurity because of their skin or culture.

My favorites among the group are On My Mind for the beautiful way the man expresses his love on what is one of the worst days of his life and the grace that he finds in doing so, and Please Hold, for its biting comedy.

Photos courtesy of Shorts.tv.

Quo Vadis, Aida? – Helplessness

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“I’m doing everything within my power.”

Quo Vadis, Aida? is a fictionalized story based on true events during the Bosnian War. Directed by Jasmila Žabanić, it has been nominated for an Oscar in the Best International Feature Category. It was submitted by Bosnia and Herzegovina. It recounts the fall of the town of Srebrenica and the resulting genocide carried out by the Serbian army.

Aida Selmanagić (Jasna Đuričić) is a Srebrenica school teacher who is serving as a translator for UN peacekeeping forces. The colonel leading the Dutch military contingent has been assuring the people of the town that they are protected and that the UN is prepared to attack the Serbs if they try to take the city. But when the Serbs come, the UN fails to carry out the threats of their ultimatums. The people evacuate the city, four or five thousand get inside the Dutch compound, but several thousands more are outside the compound seeking safety within. Aida is safe as an employee of the UN, but her husband and sons are outside the walls.

As an insider to the negotiations, Aida has information that the rest of her community does not have. She manages to find a way to get the family inside, but even then, the situation continues to deteriorate as the impotence of the UN forces becomes more and more obvious.

This is a film about helplessness. We especially see it in Aida as she struggles to save her family, but it is also true for the Dutch military leaders. They have been left out to dry by NATO and UN political decisions. When the colonel in charge tries to call up the command chain, he is told no one is available. Many times throughout the film, military people and Aida are pushed to tell people things they know are not true. The colonel admits early on, “I’m just a piano player.” (I.e., he’s only a messenger.) That is often the role that Aida finds herself in as well. Bringing messages that have no real force or meaning.

Aida is stuck in the middle—between her job and her family and the wider community. The Dutch are in the middle, delivering flaccid threats, then having to follow orders and regulations rather than saving lives.

When in school and learning to identify themes in literature, one of those overall themes that frequently recur is “Man’s inhumanity to man”. That phrase seems inadequate to describe genocide. We watch it play out, seeing the faces of so many we know to be doomed, and discovering that even those who care about what is happening are helpless to stop it. The film really doesn’t look at the geopolitical background. That would just be a diversion. The reality is that the world, like Aida, seems to be powerless in the face of the evil of such strife.

Quo Vadis, Aida? is playing in theaters, through virtual cinema, and on Hulu.

A Look at the Oscar® Nominated Animated Shorts.

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When it is time to award the best in films each year, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences include three categories of short films in their Oscar® presentations. Most people don’t get to see many shorts. They play at festivals, and occasionally in front of a feature film. But short films are an art form worth attention. Many (probably most) feature filmmakers started out making short films. To tell a story in such a brief format takes skill. All the Oscar®-nominated short films will be playing in theaters and on virtual cinema in special programs.

Let’s take a look at the Oscar®-nominated animated shorts.

Burrow (6 minutes, directed by Madeline Sharafian). This Disney/Pixar entry features a young rabbit who wants to build the home of her dreams, but really doesn’t know what she’s doing. The more she digs, the more trouble she gets into until her neighbors step in to lend a hand. It’s fun. It has the cuteness one associates with Disney, but it doesn’t quite have the heart.

Genius Loci (16 minutes, directed by Adrien Mérigeau). Waiting for a sign, a young loner experience the urban chaos around her. Will it lead her to joy or destruction? The key thing in this piece is the artwork, that brings in elements of surrealism, cubism, and abstract expressionism. The narrative nature is a bit slow and disjointed.

If Anything Happens I Love You (13 minutes, directed by Michael Govier and Will McCormack). We see two grieving parents as they struggle to cope after the loss of a child. They drift apart. They comfort each other. They have pain together and separately. They have memories that fill them with joy and pain at the same time. The film comes to a very powerful ending that finally gives us a context for all this grief.

Opera (9 minutes, directed by Erick Oh). A mesmerizing world of tiny people in a pyramidal hierarchy. Each little section is busy with its own activity. It portrays history and society with all its beauty and absurdity. There’s working, worship, war, and rebirth. What a pleasure to explore!

Yes-People (9 minutes, directed by Gísli Darri Halldórson). A day in the life of three families in an apartment building. Each in their own way are trying to deal with the mundane nature of life. It is somewhat difficult to make the mundane interesting.

BONUS: Because the nominated films are so brief, the program is filled out with a few of the “highly recommended” films that were shortlisted, but not nominated:

Kapaemahu (9 minutes, directed by Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson, and Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu). A Hawaiian legend of god-like visitors from Tahiti who brought healing gifts and left them is special boulders, only to have the legend forgotten—until now. A very engaging retelling.

The Snail and the Whale (26 minutes, directed by Max Lang and Daniel Snaddon). A snail that is dissatisfied with life on its rock in the harbor, hitches a ride with a friendly humpback whale that allows it to see the wonders of the world. But in time, the whale needs the snail’s help. A wonderful feel good story based on a children’s picture book.

To: Gerard (7 minutes, directed by Taylor Meacham). An postal worker spends his day sorting letters, but dreams of being a magician. As a child he was fascinated by a magician who gave him a magic coin. He has tried to master the craft, but never really found an audience. But one day a little girl wanders into his work area and finds his magic coin. After some slight of hand, he gives her the coin. Many years later he gets an invitation to a magic show…

Of the nominated films, my favorite by far is Opera. When I first saw it as part of the Slamdance festival this year, I had to watch it more than once just to get a start at all the things it is showing us about who we are. I’ll give an Honorable Mention to If Anything Happens I Love You because it is such a great touchstone for the emotions of grief and has such a powerful (if difficult) ending.

Of the bonus films, I really liked The Snail and the Whale for the way it took us on a spectacular journey just as it does the snail.

To see trailers or to find where you can see these shorts, go to https://shorts.tv/theoscarshorts/

A Look at the Oscar® Nominated Live Action Shorts

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When it is time to award the best in films each year, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences include three categories of short films in their Oscar ® presentations. Most people don’t get to see many shorts. They play at festivals, and occasionally in front of a feature film. But short films are an art form worth attention. Many (probably most) feature filmmakers started out making short films. To tell a story in such a brief format takes skill. All the Oscar-nominated short films will be playing in theaters and on virtual cinema in special programs.

Let’s take a look at the Oscar ® nominated live action shorts.

Feeling Through (19 minutes, directed by Doug Roland). Tereek, a homeless teen helps Walter, a blind-deaf man (played by a deaf-blind actor), find his bus to get home. He learns to see the man as more than a problem, and also gets perspective on his own trials.  This is a very moving story. In just a few minutes of screen time, we see tremendous growth in Tereek’s character. For him this is truly a life changing experience.

The Letter Room (33 minutes, directed by Elvira Lind). When a sensitive prison guard gets transferred to the mail room, his job is to read all the incoming and outgoing mail. He is enthralled with the very personal letters sent to a death row inmate. But perhaps the reality is less than he imagines. Nice performance from Oscar Isaac as a man who strives to be kind, even in an unkind environment.

The Present (25 minutes, directed by Farah Nabulsi). This Palestinian film is the story of a man who sets off with his daughter to go into town to buy an anniversary gift for his wife. The way is complicated by checkpoints, hostile Israeli soldiers, and segregated highways. It becomes a trial by humiliation. Can the man get the gift home and still maintain his stature in the eyes of his daughter? This look at life within the occupied Palestinian territories shows some of the injustice that people must face, with no real rights or power. The Present is currently streaming on Netflix.

Two Distant Strangers (29 minutes, directed by Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe). When a man wakes up in his girlfriend’s apartment, he sets off home to take care of his dog. But when he runs into trouble with a racist policeman, it ends tragically. Then he wakes up again…. This is something of a Black Lives Matter version of Groundhog Day. There are lots of different scenarios, but it always ends in the police killing of a black man.

White Eye (20 minutes, directed by Tomer Shushan). In Israel, a man finds his bike stolen weeks ago. It now belongs to a Somalian immigrant who bought it at bus station. When the police get involved it becomes far more complicated than the man wanted. The film moves from being about what rights a person might have to what is the right thing to do in a difficult setting.

My favorites among these are Feeling Through,because it brings hope out of darkness in a touchingly human way; and Two Distant Strangers, for the way it uses the time loop trope to emphasize the way the killing of black people seems be something we wake up to anew each day.

To see where you can see these shorts, go to https://shorts.tv/theoscarshorts/

A Look at Oscar® Nominated Short Documentaries

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When it is time to award the best in films each year, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences include three categories of short films in their Oscar® presentations. Most people don’t get to see many shorts. They play at festivals, and occasionally in front of a feature film. But short films are an art form worth attention. Many (probably most) feature filmmakers started out making short films. To tell a story in such a brief format takes skill. All the Oscar®-nominated short films will be playing in theaters and on virtual cinema in special programs.

Let’s take a look at the Oscar®-nominated short documentaries

Colette (25 minutes, directed by Anthony Giacchino). At 90 years old, Colette is one of the last remaining veterans of the French Resistance. She has never, in the years since the war, stepped foot in Germany. Now, with a young researcher, she is going to the Concentration Camp where her brother died. It is an emotional trip for both women. It makes the story of the Resistance and of her brother very personal.

A Concerto Is a Conversation (13 minutes, directed by Kris Bowers and Ben Proudfoot). Kris Bowers is a rising star among Hollywood composers. But he sometimes wonders, as an African American if he is “supposed to be in the spaces that I’m in.” As he talks with his grandfather, he hears of growing up in the Jim Crow south, and finding a way to a better life in Los Angeles, which shaped the family Bowers was born into. This is a bit of a celebration of family, and especially the bond between Bowers and his grandfather.

Do Not Split (35 minutes, directed by Anders Hammer). In the spring of 2019, when the Chinese government proposed extraditing Hong Kong people to China, protests began. By September (when the documentary joins the protests) these protests had gotten very large and filled with violence, by both protesters and police. This film takes us into those protests. It shows us the passion of the young people involved. But we really don’t get a lot of context to fully understand all the issues that come into play.

Hunger Ward (40 Minutes, directed by Skye Fitzgerald). In Yemen, war and famine have resulted in large numbers of children starving. This is a look into two clinics and the doctors who are trying to save the lives of these children. The film is a brutal experience—not because of violence, but because of the near hopelessness of the situation. Viewers should know they have to steal themselves for some of these scenes, which include children dying. It’s also important to note that the US is a key supporter and supplier of the Saudis who have blocked aid from reaching Yemen.

A Love Song for Latasha (19 minutes, directed by Sophia Nahli Allison). “Say her name” has become an important phrase in our culture as we remember the deaths of African Americans needlessly killed. Fifteen year old Latasha Harlins, was killed trying to buy Orange Juice. That event became a focal point in the 1992 Los Angeles uprising. This film, related by a cousin and a friend of Latasha does more than say her name. It tells of a life. It is not about a victim, but about what has been lost.

My favorite among these is A Concerto Is a Conversation. It points to the struggle people have endured, but also shows a bit of hope that we can do better. I hesitated to call Hunger Ward a “favorite”, because it is very difficult to watch. But it is a powerful and important story that much of the world is overlooking.

To see trailers or to find where you can see these shorts, go to https://shorts.tv/theoscarshorts/

The Cave – Hope in a Dark Place

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“Is God really watching?”

Nominated for Best Documentary Feature, The Cave takes us into the darkest of world to show us the smallest light of hope. Director Feras Fayyad received a previous Oscar nomination for his film Last Men in Aleppo. Again we see the destruction that has been happening in Syria and the bravery of some who seek to save others in spite of the risk to their own lives.

Al Ghouta, Syria – Dr. Amani (center) and Dr Alaa (right) in the operating room. (National Geographic)

Between 2013 and 2018, Al Ghouta, Syria was besieged by government and Russian forces. Gas attacks, frequent bombings, lack of food and supplies, created a city of rubble and despair filled with 400,000 people who now have no way out. A small group of doctors, led by Dr. Amani Ballour and Dr. Salim Namour, seeks to tend to the seriously injured in an underground hospital known as The Cave. Dr. Amani serves as the manager of the hospital, as well as continuing her work as a pediatrician, caring for the many children who have been injured in the bombings, and are suffering malnutrition from the lack of food.

The film immerses us into this subterranean world as we follow Dr. Amani. There are times of chaos and pain. There are quiet times when she and another woman can take part in a bit of girl talk about makeup. There are small celebrations, as for Dr. Amani’s 30th birthday which is feted with popcorn that Dr. Salim imagines as pizza with extra cheese. But throughout we see the suffering of the populace that has been under attack for five years. We see the doctors as they face feelings of helplessness. We see the fear that these doctors live with even as they strive to save others.

Al Ghouta, Syria – Dr Amani covers her ears during nearby bombings. (National Geographic)

There is no commentary to accompany the film. It suffers a bit by not giving viewers any context for the conflict or the geopolitical issues that allows such savagery to take place. But even without such explanations we realize that we are watching people who are acting heroically in a dangerous situation. Fayyad sets them (as he did with the White Helmets in Last Men in Aleppo) as lights of hope in a world that seems hopeless.

By focusing on Dr. Amani, this film also has a bit of a feminist bent. It only comes up once in the film, but Syrian society frowns on women working, especially in authority. But in this film we see not only Dr. Amani, but other women (especially Dr. Alaa and nurse Samaher) doing important work and saving lives of many people.

Al Ghouta, Syria – Children recovering with oxygen after a chemical attack. (National Geographic)

The film opens and closes with brief, poetic voice overs by Dr. Amani. They speak of light and hope. One of the lines the struck me was “I wonder if there is any space for justice.” For me this may be the key question that gnaws at me watching this. The UN has declared the siege of Al Ghouta as a war crime against humanity. But will there ever be justice? The film never asks, but I don’t know how viewers cannot ask how the world allows this to go on. Even when the world knows that the government has broken international law by using chemical weapons against its own people, nothing has been done.

National Geographic, who is the distributor for the film, offers some ways to take action at their website for the film. (The film can be screened on the National Geographic app.) I especially recommend reading Dr. Amani’s own account that is linked to there, and to consider signing the petition calling for the world to acknowledge what is happening and act.

Al Ghouta, Syria – Dr Amani amongst rubble. (National Geographic)

Photos courtesy of National Geographic

Oscar-Nominated Live Action Shorts

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Short films are important enough for the Academy to award three Oscars to shorts each year: Best Animated Short, Best Live Action Short, and Best Short Documentary. Most people haven’t had a chance to view these films, which may be harbingers of tomorrow’s filmmakers. But each year, shortly before the Academy Awards are presented, programs made up of these short films play in select theatres around the country. You can find where they will play near you at https://shorts.tv/theoscarshorts/theatrical-release/ . The films will also be available on VOD on Feb. 4. Here’s the line up for the Live Action Shorts.

A Sister (Une Soeur) (16 minutes) from Belgium, directed by Delphine Girard. As a man and woman travel in a car at night, the woman calls her sister who is taking care of her child. She’s late and wants to make arrangements. But when we see the other side of this call, we discover the real drama that is playing out. This might be the most important call she has ever made. Makes for a very good thriller in the few minutes of this film.

Brotherhood (25 minutes) from Canada, Tunisia, Qatar, and Sweden, directed by Meryam Joobeur. Mohamed and his two sons are shepherds in rural Tunisia. When his estranged oldest son, Malik, returns, everyone seems pleased he’s home, except Mohamed. Malik left the family to fight with ISIS in Syria. Now he’s back, with a mysterious wife in tow. She stays covered in her burqa at all times—even within the family, who are strangers to her. Mohamed has little patience for all of this. It is only after he has acted to get rid of Malik that he learns the real story of Malik and his wife. This is a story that focuses on judgmentalism, especially when it gets in the way of familial love.

Nefta Football League (17 minutes) from France and Tunisia, directed by Yves Piat. Two brothers come across a donkey in the desert. It is wearing headphones and carrying many bags of a white powder. The older brother thinks they have found a goldmine. They younger thinks it’s just laundry detergent. When they get to town, the older brother looks to cash in. But the younger has other ideas for using this windfall.

Saria (22 minutes) from the US, directed by Bryan Buckley. Two orphaned girls are subjected to an unpleasant life at the Virgen de La Asuncion Safe House orphanage in Guatemala. They plan an escape with many others. But they are found and brought back. If that isn’t tragedy enough, it gets worse. The story is based on the true story of a fire that killed 41 teenage girls.

The Neighbors’ Window (20 minutes) from the US, directed by Marshall Curry. A couple with two (then three) children are pretty much tired out. They don’t have time or energy at the end of the day. One evening, they see their young neighbors across the way having some very interesting sex. Since the windows are always uncovered, they become a constant source of interest for this couple. As the months pass, they see parties, more sex, and then things change a bit. Eventually they will see some very intimate and touching parts of their lives. They will also discover that perhaps they have added something to the lives of their neighbors as well.

The Live Action Shorts are usually my favorite of the shorts categories because they do such a great job of showing some of the issues we all must deal with in life. This year’s nominees, while all very good, don’t quite carry the power that I’ve appreciated in other years. That said, my top pick for Life Action Shorts is The Neighbors’ Wife. What starts out as a story about a slightly perverted voyeurism grows into a touching connection between people.

Photos courtesy of Shorts.TV

Oscar-Nominated Short Documentaries

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Short films are important enough for the Academy to award three Oscars to shorts each year: Best Animated Short, Best Live Action Short, and Best Short Documentary. Most people haven’t had a chance to view these films, which may be harbingers of tomorrow’s filmmakers. But each year, shortly before the Academy Awards are presented, programs made up of these short films play in select theatres around the country. You can find where they will play near you at https://shorts.tv/theoscarshorts/theatrical-release/ . The films will also be available on VOD on Feb. 4. Here’s the line up for the Short Documeantaries.

In the Absence (29 minutes) from South Korea and the US, directed by Yi Seung-Jun. This film recounts the tragic sinking of a ferry in 2014 and the ways the government failed in its rescue attempts—failure that eventually contributed to the impeachment and removal of President Park Geun-hye. Made up of archival footage and interviews with survivors and families, this doc conveys the tragedy in the hundreds of lives (many children) lost.

Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If you’re a Girl) (40 minutes) from the UK, the US, and Afghanistan, directed by Carol Dysinger. Girls are often not encouraged to go to school in Kabul, but many do anyway. We see some who along with learning to read, write, and do math, learn how to ride a skateboard. The school is known as Skateistan. Why teach them to skate? For one thing, it’s something that boys are applauded for, but girls are told not to do. It also teaches them courage and to trust their capabilities. And, it’s fun. By the way, Skateistan schools in Afghanistan are supported by the skating community around the world—who knew?

Life Overtakes Me (40 minutes) from the US, directed by John Haptas and Kristine Samuelson. Hundreds of immigrant children in Sweden have developed what has become known as Resignation Syndrome. They go into a catatonic state for several months. The reason seems to be the uncertainty in their lives. They come from traumatic backgrounds, and the constant possibility of deportation is just too much for them to bear, so they sink into a coma-like state. We watch as three families try to deal with their affected children, plus their own uncertain futures.

St. Louis Superman (28 minutes) from the US, directed by Sami Khan and Smriti Mundhra. Bruce Franks is a battle rapper, a Black Lives Matter activist, and member of the Missouri state legislature. He is not your typical politician. As he strives to pass a law that recognizes youth violence as a public health matter, he also is striving to come to terms with his own trauma, seeing his nine year-old big brother shot and killed.

Walk Run Cha-Cha (20 minutes) from the US, directed by Laura Nix. Paul and Millie Cao were youthful sweethearts in Vietnam during the war. After the war, Paul and his family fled, eventually reaching the US. Later he was able to bring Millie. After their years of work to establish lives in their new country, they have formed another bond in ballroom dance. They are more than just recreational dancers; they take lots of lessons and compete. This is a film that will feed fans of “So You Think You Can Dance?”

Among the nominees in this category, my favorite is Learning How to Skateboard…. It is a story of hope. Many of us in the west may cringe at the way women are often treated in some places around the world. Skateistan provides a vision of shaping women who will overcome the strictures of their society.

Photos courtesy of Shorts.TV