Each year, the Oscar-nominated Short Films are released into
theatres as a showcase for the art of the short film; a very refined genre of
filmmaking which always has a strong focus on storytelling and characters…a
focus that is often lost on feature films with a lot of time to work with.
Short films can arguably be the most pure form of the cinematic arts, and the
annual release allows us to catch these very-well done films on the big screen
where they rightfully belong.
When this year’s nominations were announced, there was
controversy over the lack of diversity in the selections. Those empty cans who
are rattling the most clearly did not pay due attention to the complete list of
nominees, as this year’s nominees for Best Live-Action Short Film are a virtual
tour across the world in an examination of culture.
This year's nominees are:
This year's nominees are:
AVE MARIA – The mundane routine of five Palestine nuns is
interrupted when an Israeli family crashes their car into the convent.
Short on plot but very light on humor, this is a
culture-clash of nuns who have taken a vow of silence who reluctantly break
those vows and their coveted routines to help out a Jewish family. Although
it’s thin on story, it’s an interesting examination of what it means to be true
to your beliefs, and if the strictest of worship is best for our fellow man.
EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY – A divorced father in Austria picks
up his eight-year old daughter for a day of fun, but his actions quickly become
suspicious.
This is a slow-burning nail-biter which gets more and more
frightening as it goes on. Basically a story about a dad who is quietly
plotting to kidnap his own daughter, it is a calm thriller with an emotional
wallop of ending, and is an astonishing example of how a short film can be so moving
while working with so little. It’s also an acting powerhouse, with eight-year
old Julia Pointer as the highlight.
SHOK – The friendship of two boys is tested as they try to
survive the war in Kosovo.
The war between Serbian and Albanian people is seen through
the eyes of two children, which brings one shocking turn after another. The war
in Kosovo is often forgotten by most of the world, and by seeing it through the
eyes of a child, makes it new with all of its horror. Told through a bookend
with the adult version of one of the two friends, SHOK is powerful and
shocking.
STUTTERER – A young man with a severe stutter travels to
London to meet his online girlfriend for the first time.
A true charmer which takes a look at dating in this century
and how it can change our perceptions of a person. It’s a very well-done tale
which generates a lot of empathy for the main character who can barely spit out
two words, and the ending which involves a long-awaited meet with his online
girlfriend has a twist that would make Alfred Hitchcock proud.
DAY ONE – A new interpreter arrives at a war zone
(presumably Iraq), and immediately falls into a situation where she has to
deliver a baby.
On paper, DAY ONE seems very light on story, but it is also
a look at culture-clashes as strict traditions ban certain people from doing
certain tasks, which puts the new interpreter in one sticky and dangerous
situation. It’s a great little war-story with a bittersweet ending, although
the time taken to get there is a little bit of a grind.
*
Review for the Animated Short Films HERE
The Oscars will be awarded February 28th.
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