2021 Oscars Reviews: Short Films (Documentary, Animated, Live-Action)
So, since I’ve been working remotely this year, I decided that I would take on a bit more in relation to the upcoming Oscars. I’ve been watching the Best Picture nominees since 2014, and we’ve been trying to hit all the acting awards the past few years, but this is my first time reaching into the realm of Oscar-nominated short films, documentaries, and international features. Erin politely declined to join me. Hope you enjoy reading my thoughts!
Alright, so here’s how the Academy does short films: the awards are broken into three categories. There is Best Documentary Short Subject, there’s Best Animated Short Film, and there’s Best Live Action Short Film. I’ll tackle my short reviews and thoughts in that order, listing where each is available should you be interested. Let’s get to it!
Best Documentary Short Subject
Colette (24 minutes; Hulu, Starz): I adored this one. Directed by South Jersey’s own Anthony Giacchino, it’s about a former member of the French Resistance in World War II returning to Germany for the first time in 74 years to visit the concentration camp where her brother was killed by the Nazis. But it’s not as crushing as it might seem - she develops a beautiful connection with the history student that accompanies her as well. It’s cathartic, affecting, and simply wonderful. I highly recommend watching it.
A Concerto is a Conversation (13 minutes; YouTube): This one was a personal look at family. As indicated by the title, it’s framed as a conversation between famous Black composer Kris Bowers (Green Book, Bridgerton) and his grandfather as the two explore how your past sets the groundwork for your future. Bowers’ grandfather tells stories of his determination as he endured racism for decades, and he sees the fruits of his labor in his grandson. He opened opportunities for Kris despite systemic racism, and Kris took advantage of those. It’s touching and really nice for a family to have this type of reflection with one another. Definite recommend.
Do Not Split (35 minutes; Vimeo): I didn’t know a whole lot about the intricacies of the 2019 Hong Kong protests before watching this, and this film only scratches the surface, but it’s a raw look from the ground at what was happening regarding police brutality and existential threats to democracy. If you’re at all interested in what’s going on overseas and how that might translate back home, it’s worth a watch.
Hunger Ward (39 minutes; Pluto TV, Paramount+): This one…whew. You have to know what you’re getting into here. The point is to show the horrors and trauma being faced by people in Yemen because of famine, poverty, and war. According to UNICEF, 80 percent of Yemen’s population requires humanitarian assistance, and that includes 12 million children. In Hunger Ward, you see what’s going on at one hospital, where starving children are being treated. It’s shocking and nauseating in the truest sense of the word. The film is necessary so that people see the effects of what’s going on out there, but it’s very very hard to watch.
A Love Song for Latasha (19 minutes; Netflix): This film examines the murder of fifteen-year-old Latasha Harlins by a store clerk in Los Angeles just days after the Rodney King beating in 1991. Rather than focusing on the circumstances of her death, it instead highlights anecdotes on Latasha’s life, dreams, and aspirations through interviews with her cousin and friend. It’s creative, touching, emotional, and gripping. It turns a tragic killing on its head by focusing specifically on Latasha’s life, and the dreamscape-style, nostalgic storytelling really lands. This is another definite recommend.
Ranking: Colette, A Concerto is a Conversation, A Love Song for Latasha, Do Not Split, Hunger Ward
Best Animated Short Film
Burrow (6 minutes; Disney+): Burrow is about a rabbit trying to create her dream home underground and learning how to accept help from others better suited to help her do so: a mole, a mouse, and other creatures. It’s a really nice short with a good message! It takes a village. Definitely check it out, it’s only 6 minutes!
Genius Loci (16 minutes; Vimeo): You know when you can tell something is technically Good, but for the life of you, you just don’t understand what is going on? That’s what happened with me here. The animation is beautiful and different, and I know there’s a message in here about finding oneself and the journey it takes to do so, but I’ll admit it: it was over my head.
If Anything Happens I Love You (12 minutes; Netflix): This one crushed me. CRUSHED. It’s going to be a tough task to beat this one for the award. It’s about parents dealing with unimaginable grief, so it’s sad, but it’s also ambivalent: it’s about coming together without blame, and it’s about moving on from grief. Whew. This is what animation can do at its finest.
Opera (9 minutes; N/A, trailer): If there’s going to be one that knocks off If Anything Happens, it’s Opera. Created by Erick Oh, a former Pixar animator (Finding Dory, Inside Out), it’s a nonlinear, experimental story about class, war, discrimination, politics, and life. But there isn’t a single line of dialogue. It pans down from the top of a pyramid down to the bottom, and back up. It’s also designed to play on an infinite loop, because so do class, war, discrimination, politics, and life. It’s a trip. If it comes onto a streaming service, it’s a must-watch. You can watch it as many times as you want and follow a different character each time. It’s really amazing.
Yes-People (9 minutes; YouTube): This one has a concept that it stretches a little bit too far. The director apparently wanted to show all the different emotions and actions conveyed by the word “yes,” and how people can use that word as they fight many different everyday struggles, though it doesn’t quite land. It’s a little too hokey for me.
Ranking: If Anything Happens I Love You; Opera; Burrow; Genius Loci; Yes-People
Best Live-Action Short Film
Feeling Through (18 minutes; YouTube): As the first film ever with a DeafBlind person in a leading role, this one was about breaking barriers. A young man named Tereek meets a DeafBlind man, Artie, on a street corner and learns to communicate with him as he tries to get him home safely. As the two traverse New York City, both grow to understand one another, and the friendship that results is touching. It’s all about connection and understanding and communication. I really liked this one!
The Letter Room (30 minutes; Prime Video): This film was a heavy hitter in terms of the cast, a rarity among short films: it featured Oscar Isaac in the title role and Alia Shawkat (Maeby from Arrested Development) in a supporting one. Isaac plays Richard, a corrections officer jaded with the prison system who is assigned to the “letter room” on death row where he screens inmates’ mail before it gets delivered. He becomes very intrigued by a certain inmate’s mail and tries to help. Isaac is charming as always, though it’s clear to the viewer that one man can’t bring humanity back to the prison system. I liked it, and I’m a huge Oscar Isaac fan, but it dragged a bit. Short films shouldn’t drag.
The Present (24 minutes; Netflix): This was my favorite of the live-action short films! It’s really simple: a Palestinian man and his daughter look to buy a wedding present for his wife. But to do so, they have to cross an Israeli-held checkpoint near Bethlehem. They hit a variety of snags on the way to buy the present, though the entire 24 minutes is believable and doesn’t feel contrived at all. It’s a simple, but heartfelt look into the struggles that Palestinians deal with in the West Bank every day. It felt like a short story brought to life on film. I’m a sucker for a parent-child adventure story, and this one really hit for me.
Two Distant Strangers (29 minutes; Netflix): Really creative and timely. This is a Groundhog Day or an Edge of Tomorrow-like concept: every day the protagonist, Carter (Joey Bada$$), wakes up in a woman’s bed. By the end of the day, one way or another, he is murdered by the same policeman (Andrew Howard). The director’s message is that Carter’s struggle to break the cycle of killing is emblematic of what it feels like to be Black in America, constantly profiled and hunted by police no matter what they try to do - run, cooperate, even stay home. The dialogue actually keeps this one pretty light, even playful at times, so it’s not as overall crushing as you might think. I write this on the day that George Floyd’s murderer, Derek Chauvin, was convicted on all charges, and so hope that this one isn’t as timely in a few years as it is right now. It’s absolutely worth watching and will probably win the award.
White Eye (21 minutes; N/A, trailer): An Israeli man, Omar, tries to recover his recently stolen bike and it sets off a chain of events which sheds light on the inhumanity of attitudes toward immigrants. He involves the police in his quest to regain his bike and it all goes downhill from there. Though the immigrants in this case are Eritrean, it parallels American xenophobia. It also parallels how tedious and difficult it is for some bureaucratic actions (i.e., the police returning Omar’s bike) against how easy it is for police to make an unnecessary decision that can ruin a life without batting an eye (i.e., arresting an immigrant for not having papers). White Eye hits on universal emotions: compassion, empathy, and guilt, among others. I found it really compelling.
Ranking: The Present, Two Distant Strangers, Feeling Through, White Eye, The Letter Room