2021 Oscar Nominated Short Films - Documentary Short Subject
SHOULD I SEE IT?
YES
Always a great presentation and fantastic trip to the movies, you have to look fast because the short films are only in theaters for a few weeks, prior to the Oscars.
Oscar pools and Oscar party contests can be won and lost with the Short Film categories. Experiencing these nominees achieves both a better chance at victory and the opportunity to see some terrific and original films.
NO
Casual movie watchers tend to watch high profile, big name star movies and convincing people to watch short films is a challenge. No matter how good these films are, a large number of people are not going to care much.
You are not a fan of a wide range of genres and themes. You never know what you are going to get with these short film presentations and that mix of styles can throw people off.
OUR REVIEW
Every year, the ballot busters for Oscar pools and Oscar parties often prove to be the short film categories. Some advocate for their removal from the televised ceremony. Others seek them out every year in theaters, celebrating the creativity that lies within each slate of nominees. I, for one, love uncovering these each year, as well as other short films which gain traction within the industry and hope to make it to the highest stage possible – the Academy Awards.
Each year, ShortsTV and Shorts International secure the rights to the 15 short film nominees in the Animation, Live Action, and Documentary Short Subject categories and release them as individual screening packages in theaters. The week before the Oscars, they shift them to digital platforms for people to buy and watch at home.
The Short Film packages have proven wildly popular. Each year, the box office numbers have grown and the mini-film festival idea has really caught hold with Oscarwatchers, and those genuinely curious about the potential next wave of storytellers and filmmakers out in the world.
Before these nominees received theatrical distribution in 2005, the short film nominees were nearly impossible to find. Now, even as we slowly emerge from a global pandemic, these short films packages are playing in theaters and in virtual VOD presentations which support independent theaters trying to stay afloat.
And so, without any further ado, let's dive into this year’s nominees for Best Documentary Short Subject.
Colette | 25 Minutes
Directed by Anthony Giacchino
★★★★
NOTE: Grab the tissues, and actually have them ready as you work this year’s Documentary Short Subject nominees.
We start with Colette, a moving, heart wrenching story of a 90-year-old French woman, Colette Marin-Catherine, returning to the Nazi Concentration Camps where her family died as part of the French Resistance, including her brother who was killed in a labor camp.
Accompanied by young academic Lucie, Colette prepares for what will become a tour of ghosts, incomplete memories, and tragedy. Though resilient and reiterating that she needs to go on this journey, Colette is understandably brought to tears many times as she reckons the past with her present.
A survivor, a brave woman, a noble fighter: Whatever superlatives one wants to place upon Colette are certainly in the eyes of the viewer. Unmistakable is her humanity, strength and resolve, and the still-lingering effects of her experiences. And no smile, self-deprecating wave of a hand, or kind nature and caring demeanor can ever take this pain away from her.
A Concerto is a Conversation | 13 Minutes
Directed by Kris Bowers and Ben Proudfoot
★★★1/2
Slight in structure, but no less an important work, A Concerto is a Conversation plays as a series of conversation with musician Kris Bowers (who co-directed the film with his friend Ben Proudfoot) and his 91-year-old grandfather, Horace.
As Bowers prepares for the first performance of a violin concerto he composed in Los Angeles, the two men exchange thoughts on race, as Horace shares his experiences growing up through Jim Crow, the ongoing fight for racial equality, stories of racial injustice he personally witnessed and experienced, while also building a dry-cleaning empire almost in spite of those experiences.
Horace’s stories and Kris’ discussion with his grandfather are told in tight close-up, both men staring directly at the camera. This creates initially an odd framing, but holds our attention. These words matter and as Kris prepares for his future, Horace takes the opportunity to never let him, or us, forget the past and remind us of what exists around all of us this very day.
Do Not Split | 35 Minutes
Directed by Anders Hammer
★★★1/2
A gripping, intense film, Do Not Split is the second consecutive nomination in this category from documentary filmmakers Field of Vision, who landed with last year’s In the Absence. Here, we find ourselves in Hong Kong, beginning in 2019, with director Anders Hammer telling the story of a wave of protests, lasting nearly a year. The uprising would come as a result of a decision made by the Hong Kong government to allow extradition agreements for the mainland of China. Fearing that this would lead to losing autonomy and seeing their rights affected by the Chinese government, protestors took to the streets.
In reality, Do Not Split skips over the fact that this extradition bill was just the latest in a series of frustrations people were having with the Hong Kong government. When the bill is suspended, but not rescinded, things take a turn and violent protests take over the country. Hammer’s crew embeds on the streets, and though not as forthcoming with context as one needs to properly understand the anger and frustrations spilling over into the streets, the footage captured is compelling to witness.
As we spend time hearing the perspective of a young teacher, who has to rationalize her decision to protest versus her potential career path being affected, Do Not Split places a personal touch to the larger issues at play.
Hunger Ward | 40 Minutes
Directed by Skye Fitzgerald
★★★★
There is probably not a more difficult film to watch in the entire slate of Oscar nominees this year than Skye Fitzgerald’s harrowing and tragic Hunger Ward. Documenting the widespread crisis of starvation and malnourishment among young children in Yemen, Fitzgerald’s film is an unflinching reminder at the precious nature of human life and the affects that war can have on the youngest of human beings.
Yemen has been at war with Saudi Arabia after the country intervened in a Yemeni Civil War in 2015. Hunger Ward shows us not only the destructive nature of the airstrikes which have crippled the Yemeni way of life, but also the tireless work of medical facilities in the north and south of the impoverished nation. Once Fitzgerald gives us a scope of the issues at play in the film, we focus on a nurse and doctor working relentlessly to treat and save starving children.
As the desperation is obvious and everywhere on the faces of the families, medical personnel, and young patients we see on screen, the children command our attention. Fitzgerald focuses on two main girls who receive treatment, and a scene of a young 6-year-old girl, simply eating an apple, is something I never guessed would affect me to such a degree. Death is never far from the door, as we unfortunately see, and the access to this footage is astonishing.
As stated, Hunger Strike is difficult, but a powerful, lasting experience that leaves a significant impression on anyone who views it.
A Love Song for Latasha | 19 Minutes
Directed by Sophia Nahli Allison
★★★★
Available on Netflix, A Love Song for Latasha is perhaps the most timely of nominees, in terms of immediacy with the culture of American life right now. In 1991, Latasha Harlins, just 15 years of age, was killed by a convenience store owner - shot in the back while preparing to purchase a bottle of orange juice (totaling $1.79). She had money in her hand at the time she was shot. The owner thought she was stealing it.
Harlins’ murder came 13 days after the videotaped beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles police, adding another layer to the civil unrest which would engulf the city after King’s attackers were acquitted. Though one would not forgive director Sophia Nahli Allison for presenting her film as one more example of racially targeted violence toward Black and Brown people in this country, she takes her film in a far different direction.
Allison tells Latasha’s story in an almost eulogy-like poem. Stories of her childhood are shared, while animated graphics and visual representations heighten the storytelling. Most effectively, the film lets us see Latasha for who she was and not what her all-too-short life would become. We are reminded that she was and is a real person, like anyone we may have gone to school with, or a neighbor next door or a classmate living down the street.
Latasha’s story could easily be told with anger. And while there is pain, despair, and emotion present in every moment of A Love Song for Latasha, there is also profound power throughout the overall presentation.
Overall Thoughts:
A strong collection of documentaries, predicting a winner here is a bit difficult. Generally speaking, the winner of this category, since voting opened up for the entire Academy’s membership in 2013, tends to be the film that will speak to the broadest audience possible.
A Love Song for Latasha seems poised to be in the frontrunner status - widely available on Netflix, it has the potential to be the most widely known of the nominees. For those watching Hunger Ward, the film is hard to shake and speaks to an issue in the world that all but demands a viewer to find a way to help.
A Concerto is a Conversation is thoughtful and informative. Colette is a moving tribute to resilience and facing down the ghosts of one’s past - no matter your age. Do Not Split will draw parallels to civil unrest and protests here in America over the last few years.
These films will educate and inform all watching, but the moving tribute to Latasha Harlins, and Sophia Nahli Allison’s beautiful approach in telling her story may lead to A Love Song for Latasha becoming the eventual Oscar winner this year.
CAST & CREW
Directors: Anthony Giacchino (Colette); Kris Bowers and Ben Proudfoot (A Concerto is a Conversation), Anders Hammer (Do Not Split), Skye Fitzgerald (Hunger Ward), Sophia Nahli Allison (A Love Song for Latasha).
Release Date: April 2, 2021 (theatrical); April 20, 2021 (VOD)
ShortsTV/Shorts International