Oscar Race: Documentary Short Finalists reviewed (and where to stream them)
Wednesday, February 24, 2021 at 1:30PM by Nathaniel R
Without theaters open the popular annual tradition of the nominees bundled together at movie theaters will probably have to wait, so we thought we'd discuss them before the Academy votes on nominations this year as they were blessedly easy to track down -- at least in the Doc Short category, all of which are available to stream. Herewith, a look at the ten films competing for those five slots, half of which are directed or co-directed by women.
They're grouped by emotional or thematic similarities. UPDATE: IF THEY WERE NOMINATED THAT'S MARKED BELOW...
FILMMAKING IN WAR ZONES
DO NOT SPLIT- NOMINEE Anders Hammer
(War zone figurative) This film about the 2019 Democratic protests in Hong Kong (opposing China's intervention in their semi-independent state -- the history of Hong Kong is complicated) is resonant and timely. Protestors are attacked and trapped by police (most memorably at a college campus for days on end) and suffer tear gas, rubber bullets, and water hoses. The protestors are described as rioters but the police are the ones escalating the violence. (Hmmm, where have we seen all this before?) What's most thrilling and artful about this short is how close the camera gets to the action, marching, running, and hiding right in the clouds of tear gas. The dizzying escalation is thankfully presented in linear fashion with an informative timeline; the short film's thrills and the protests themselves are cut off abruptly by the arrival of COVID-19 and then only the fear remains. One female activist's speech about the rough future of the very young activists -- or lack of it now that they'll be anathema to employers who hope to stay in good standing with China is particularly sobering. Director Hammer is a Norwegian journalist and previously extensively covered the war in Afghanistan for several media outlets. This is his second short but he also directs for television. [Available to stream on Field Of Vision].
HUNGER WAR- NOMINEE Skye Fitzgerald
(War zone literal) This is the longest contender at 40 minutes and the most emotionally grueling. It's a cry of despair coming from two "feeding centers" in Yemen, one in the North and one in the South. The images of war torn Yemen are tough to look at, as are the skeletal children, too tired to smile or play, even when the staff attempts to lighten their mood. Though the final aerial rotating camera felt like an unceccesary flourish overall the filmmaking is stark and observational rather than manipulative. Fitzgerald's camera is watching the most intimate and expansive of tragedies (dying children and war, respectively) but remains fairly non-intrusive as it wanders the hallways and bombed out buildings. Our two POV characters are a head nurse and a doctor at the centers, just getting through each day; their haunted eyes and occassional speeches amply revealing how traumatized they themselves are. Fitzgerald, based in Portland Oregon, is the only filmmaker here who has been nominated in this category previously. This is the third short in his "Humanitarian Trilogy" following 50 Feet From Syria (2015) which made the finals and Lifeboat (2018) which was nominated. We think he'll win this time if nominated. [RSVP to Upcoming Screenings]
GRAPPLING WITH THE PAST
COLETTE - NOMINEE Anthony Giacchino
Armchair Oscar-watchers have long looked at WW II and Holocaust related dramas somewhat suspiciously (in terms of quality) due to the Academy's inability to resist them, whether they're strong films or not. This one, though, is a relatively strong entry. And it's not technically a Holocaust film though it deals with Nazi concentration camps. We travel with a 90 year old woman, relatably short-fused at times, as she travels to the camp where her brother was killed in Germany, taken as a prisoner due to his work with the French Resistance. The concept is simple and the filmmakers wisely step back and just let Colette control the tone, as she vacillates between tetchy, sad, angry, wistful, and contemplative about the past. Giacchino previously won an Emmy in the short-form Nonfiction category for Great Moments from the Campaign Trail (2008). [Available to stream on The Guardian]
Hysterical Girl Kate Novack
I suspect this film is the least likely to get a nomination, not for qualitative reasons, but merely from tone and form. In some ways it feels less like a traditional documentary than a confrontational narrative short, as it reimagines a Sigmund Freud case with modern feminist eyes, calling out the misogyny of diagnoses. Whether or not that will appeal to you is largely based on your feelings about looking back at the past -- particularly the infancy of a science like pscyhoanalysis -- through a modern POV. This is Novack's first doc short as director but she previously directed the doc feature The Gospel According to André. [Available to stream on New York Times Op-Docs]
A LOVE SONG FOR LATASHA - NOMINEE Sophia Nahli Alison
A debut! This 18 minute grieving short, looks back at the shooting death of a 15 year old black girl. It's arguably the most self-conciously impressionistic of the shorts (perhaps due to lack of Latasha footage from her life) but it has an emotional pull as we hear from those who loved Latasha best about what the future might have held for her and the circumstances of South Central LA in 1992. [Available to stream on Netflix]
FEEL GOOD ENTRIES
A CONCERTO IS A CONVERSATION - NOMINEE Kris Bowers and Ben Proudfoot
It's as the title says. This very well paced brief profile film (13 minutes) is a conversation between the 31 year old composer Bowers (Green Book, Bridgerton, United States vs Billie Holiday) and his grandfather who has been diagnosed with cancer, as they prepare for the premiere of Bowers latest composition. They discuss the grandfather's experiences in the Jim Crow south, systemic racism, and Bowers own childhood on the piano and how much his parents pushed him towards musicality. The image of the grandfather steaming his grandson's shirt may bring tears -- you've been warned. It's a bit strange to realize that Bowers, who sounds so humble on camera, co-directed a very flattering short about himself but the result is charming and moving. The other director, Canadian filmmaker Ben Proudfoot, is only 30 years old but this is his 25th short already (!) so, like Bowers, his talent must have been nurtured right from the start. Let's hear it for supportive environments for talented young artists! [Available to stream on New York Times Op-Docs]
Speed Cubers Sue Kim
One of the obvious standouts in the finalist list -- we will be furious if it's passed over. The film charts the journey of a Rubik's Cube prodigy Max Park, who is autistic. His parents, who have struggled with connecting with him, encourage his fascination with the competitive sport due to his obvious engagement as well as his fandom for the then-current two time world champion, Australian Feliks Zemdegs. Zemdegs, to his credit, is even a better sport than he is a champion, taking a rival (Park) under his wing, and continually happy for him even when Park starts breaking all his records. Much of the film revolves around their competition to win World Champion in Melbourne in 2019. This is quite a debut calling card for new director Sue Kim as it's terrifically paced, touching, informative, and tense and unlike many movies (shorts or features) it feels like its exactly the right length (39 minutes in this case). [Available to stream on Netflix]
What Would Sophia Loren Do? Ross Kauffman
It's the most surprising inclusion on the finalist list since the Academy's doc branch has not shown any particular tendency to obsess over movies about movies (the way the general Academy does in Best Picture and the craft categories). So perhaps its finalist status has more to do with the director (an Oscar winner) and the subject (also an Oscar winner) and maybe the power of Netflix this season when everyone's been trapped at home for a year watching their televisions? This light short is about an Italian-American grandmother who really loves Sophia Loren and recounts many memories of her movies and how Loren and her films helped her through hard times. The ending is like a yummy dessert that you finally get to eat. Ross Kauffman is the only previous Oscar winner in the finals. He won for the Documentary Feature statue for Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids (2004). [Available to stream on Netflix]
FILMMAKING AS OBSERVATIONAL ESSAY
Abortion Helpline, This is Lisa Barbara Attie, Mike Attie, Janet Goldwater
A fly on the wall look at a Philadelphia abortion helpline where women answer calls from desperate women. Everyone goes by "Lisa" for anonymity's sake. In just a few short calls the film amply conveys how stacked the deck is against poor women when they're seeking help. The film wisely doesn't editorialize much -- the message comes through regardless -- though it's a bit of a funny mystery why it would take three directors for something this miniature. In fact, we wish it had been a bit longer for more context as to their funding and why the various "Lisas" work there. [Available to stream via Topic on Vimeo.]
Call Center Blues Geeta Gandbhir
We saved one of the best for last! This surprisingly expansive 25 minute short presents the unlikely business of Call Centers in Tijuana as refuge for displaced undocumented Americans who have been deported to Mexico for various reasons. Some of them had never lived in Mexico before and many struggle for years from depression. We get several different stories about the displaced whose lack of accents (raised bilingual in the States) makes them sought after employees for telephone work. The savvy slyly political film manages to comment on a host of problems including populism, racism, the war on Drugs, Trumpism, and more with patient humanism and well-judged images of the border wall. Gandbhir has previously won two Emmys as part of the editing teams on When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts and By the People: The Election of Barack Obama and worked on the PBS series Asian Americans this year (reviewed). Call Center Blues is her fourth documentary short as a director. [Available to stream via Topic on Vimeo]
Nomination Predictions (in presumed order of probability)
- Hunger Ward (lock?)
- Colette (great shot)
- A Concerto is a Conversation (It's funny we always assumed Bowers would get his first Oscar nomination in the next few years.. but we didn't expect it would be in this category!!!)
- Do Not Split (vulnerable?)
- Speed Cubers (vulnerable -- too happy?)
Potential spoilers: Love Song for Latasha... but really any of them. The shorts categories are hard to predict!
Personal Preference (ranked)
- Speed Cubers
- Call Center Blues
- Hunger Ward
- Do Not Split
- ???
Subject to change (slightly) on another day of course!
What did you think of these if you've seen them?
Reader Comments (13)
While I saw all but Hunger Ward, I would just nominate 3:
1) Speed Cubers
2) A Concerto is a Conversation
3) Collette
I really didn't fancy any of the others. Maybe after I see Hunger Ward I'll change my mind.
I've also seen all but Hunger Ward (will be watching it tomorrow), my absolute favourite is Speed cubers! What a delight. A film about goodness, don't we all need that in our lives!
The rest from best to worst:
2. A concerto is a conversation
3. Collette
4. Hysterical girl (it surprisingly clicked for me)
5. Abortion helpline, this is Lisa
6. Do not split
7. Love song for Latasha
8. What would Sophia Loren do?
9. Call center blues
Meanwhile as they were also pretty easy to find on the internet, I've seen all 10 short animated films on the shortlist and I can't see "If anything happens I love you" not winning the oscar this year!
the rest from the second best go as follows:
2. The snail and the whale
3. To: Gerard
4. Out
5. Yes-people
6. Kapaemahu (although I think this will grab a spot from my TOP5 and will be nominated)
The rest I didn't like that much
7. Traces
8. Opera
9. Burrow
10. Genius Loci
And while I'm at it... I've seen 7 of the 10 short live action films and I'm pretty sure "Feeling throught" will be nominated. The rest from the second best are:
2. Bittu (what a surprise in the end!)
3. Two distant strangers (I'm going back and forth with Bittu and this one, which one is better)
4. The present
5. The Van
6. White Eye
Loved all of the 6, but the 7th was just average:
7. Da Yie
Can't wait to see "Letter room" and "The human voice" in March. If anybody could point to the direction of "Kicksled choir" would be very thankful!
Kris -- i loved KICKSLED CHOIR but i saw it through the publicist... bu i guess we have different taste because FEELING THROUGH was my least favourite so far (though i have half the titles still to go in live action) i guess i have to try harder with those animated shorts because i haven't been able to find half of them.
oh and if you can point me in the right direction for the animated shorts... i haven't been able to find OPERA, SNAIL AND THE WHALE, GENIUS LOCI, TO GERARD, or TRACES yet.
I've seen 7. Ranked, I'd put them:
1. Speed Cubers
2. Hunger Ward
3. Do Not Split
4. A Concerto Is a Conversation
5. Abortion Helpline, This Is Lisa
6. Call Center Blues
7. A Love Song for Latasha
I saw Hunger Ward first and thought to myself, "This feels like the Oscar winner." But then I caught Speed Cubers available. With it being so, so, so, so, so heart-warming, not to mention accessible on Netflix, I'm not so sure about that Hunger Ward prediction anymore.
There was another film, Ashes to Ashes, that used a Connecticut man's history growing up in the South to discuss the history of lynching in the South. I wish it were in this shortlist because I like it better than at least 4 of the 7 above. Beautiful film.
I'd previously tracked down 9 of these so thank you for posting the links to the virtual screening of Hunger Ward.
I've only been able to track down 5 or 6 each of the live action and animated shorts so it would be great if someone could post some of these links.
I was in the mood to see a short film before bed tonight but didn't know what... so I guess I'll see SPEED CUBERS!
And finished. Great rec! THE SPEED CUBERS is absolutely delightful. Thanks all!
I haven't watched any of these yet. Taking my time away from 2020 documentaries, although I hope to catch them eventually. I definitely think HUNGER WARD based entirely on its name is probably the likeliest. That's an unfortunate way of predicting a winner, yet a highly predictive one.
Nathaniel, give "Feeling through" another chance... look close for the goodness of the heart and the delicate details... and for the first time a blind+deaf actor is playing... it all melt my heart...Someone's comment about the film nailed it exactly: "The man is blind and deaf, yet looks content, at peace and even ends up giving life lessons to a lost young man. We have eyes yet we hardly "see", we have ears, yet we hardly "listen". The modern world has turned us blind and deaf to this beautiful world!"
You can catch "The snail and the whale" here:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=354809115512217
"To: Gerard" here:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=452717849233706
If you speak French "Traces" can be seen here (although the text is not that important):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNTsTsPL27A
Can't seem to locate Opera and Genius Loci anymore, I guess they've take them down.
Getting my hopes up that Speed Cubers makes the final list. It's really well made. I do have the same concern that it's too happy or light for the category, but it did cross that first hurdle to make the finalists list.
"Letter room" and 9 other shortlisted Oscar shorts across all shorts' categories can be watched here for free up to the 10th of March: https://watch.eventive.org/shortlisted
Finally - Kicksled choir can be seen for 5eur or equivalent in USD at this webfestival of shorts (available both in US and Europe). Totally worth it - I cried like a little baby.:) A good sign! :) Seems to be quite a strong contender for the nom (although it's a tough competition in this category this year) It's available only up till 6th of March (tomorrow) here: https://inthepalace.com/en/18th-palace/festival/18th-edition-online.html
Before seeing The Human Voice next week, my 5 quesses for the noms are:
Feeling through, Two distant strangers, Letter room, Kicksled choir and Bittu.
@Kris - thanks for posting the link to KICKSLED CHOIR and the SHORTLISTED URL. Very kind of you to share the info!
I've already watched KICKSLED (yes, I cried too!) and will make sure to watch THE LETTER ROOM and YES-PEOPLE today.
Then the only ones I need to see are OPERA, GENIUS LOCI, TWO DISTANT STRANGERS and THE HUMAN VOICE.