The big films get all the Oscar buzz. People argue about whether The Irishman should have got something and whether Saiorse Ronan deserved it more than Renee Zellweger and whether the Oscars discriminate against female directors and women-oriented films (me: no, maybe, and yes).
There’s a whole collection of film gems that are rarely discussed because they are hard to find and watch, and get very little press: the Oscar shorts. They are generally 15-20 minutes long, so the viewer commitment is limited. They are beautifully made, often by up-and-coming directors who may go on to be famous. They are MUCH more international than the main film fare.
In the last few years, some indie-type theaters have started showing them for a few weeks around Oscar time, lucky for us. And many of them are also available online! (links provided below where possible)
A Sister (Belgium) starts innocently enough: a couple in a car, the man driving, the woman saying she needs to call her sister to look after her daughter overnight. She calls, says they are driving down the mountain, and continues chatting. The scene switches to a large call-center-like environment, with another woman on the phone, and suddenly the viewer realizes the woman in the car has called emergency, the French equivalent of American 911. The burst of adrenaline continues through the film, as we watch the abducted woman try to drop clues into the conversation, while the woman on the other hand tries to think of the right questions to ask, and both women keep their cool in a tense situation.
Directed by Delphine Girard, starring Selma Alaoui, Veerle Baetens.
Brotherhood (Tunisia) maintains the tension. A family in Tunisia is surprised when their oldest son suddenly returns from fighting in Syria for ISIS. Not just returns, he brings with him with a veiled, pregnant, young wife. The father is angry: “what about your Muslim younger brother here who almost died when he had to take on your responsibilities? What about your Muslim mother who was devastated by your departure?” The mother is more tolerant: she tells her husband to stop harassing the son, and that he left because of the father’s toughness. The younger sons are thrilled to have their brother back, and he admits to them (but not his father) that he made a mistake in going off. The family scenes are excellently done, both universal and specific, and all the actors are very good. And there is a tragic twist at the end.
Watch online (25 mins)
Directed by Meryam Joobeur, starring Mohamed Grayaâ, Malek Mechergui and Mouldi Kriden
The scene shifts to the United States, where The Neighbor’s Window takes place. A couple in their 30s with young children live in a Manhattan apartment, increasingly captivated by the lives of their neighbors opposite, who appear to be in their 20s, have plentiful hot sex, fun parties, and few responsibilities. The developments are predictable, and the filmmaker practically hits you over the head with the grass-is-greener point of the story.
Reminiscent of Rear Window, but nowhere near as good.
Watch online (20 mins)
Directed by Marshall Curry, starring Maria Dizzia and Greg Keller.
Saria (Guatemala and US) is a heartbreaker. Set in a Guatemalan orphanage, this short film tells the true story of the 41 girls who died in a fire at Virgen de La Asunción Safe Home in 2017. The girls ranged from 14 to 17: some were orphans, some abandoned by their families due to poverty. All dreamed of escape from the cruelty of the people in charge, who seem like throwbacks to the Oliver Twist workhouse days. The girls are mentally and physically abused, raped, and spend their days scrubbing floors. Escape is followed by a harrowing return to captivity. The girls in the film are excellently acted by girls from an orphanage in Mexico, who are so natural it is hard to believe they are not professionals.
Directed by Bryan Buckley, starring Estefania Tellez, Gabriela Ramirez
The best was saved for last. Nefta Football Club (Tunisia, France) is a charmer set on the border between Tunisia and Algeria, where two young boys come across a donkey wearing headphones. Turns out that Algerian drug-smugglers were using it to send drugs across the border: the donkey is trained to come home when the right music (Adele) plays on the headphones. Alas, the smuggler’s sidekick cued the wrong music (Hadel instead of Adele), and the donkey goes astray. The presence of the drugs and the realism of the environment make it more than just a lightweight comedy of errors. The little boy is too cute for words, the older one is very good too, and the film is beautifully shot with a charmingly funny plot. Definitely #1 on my list.
Watch online (17 mins)
Directed by Yves Piat, starring Eltayef Dhaoui, Mohamed Ali Ayari.
Sad to say, The Neighbour’s Window won: apparently the Oscar is almost always given to an American film, regardless of quality.
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