Oscars 2021: 15 Short Films Nominated In Documentary, Live Action, And Animation Categories Reviewed!

I have my personal reasons for disliking award ceremonies, especially the Oscars. But today, I am not going to make that the highlight of this article. Instead, I’ll highlight the things that the Oscars wants to highlight (That’s a lot of highlighting going on). To be specific, I will be talking about the short films, which I think goes under the radar despite being chosen by the Academy. People usually tend to watch the feature and documentaries that get nominated. However, the short films? Not so much, even though they have so many messages and so much talent and creativity to offer. So, I will be sharing my thoughts on them/reviewing them categorically, and also telling y’all where you can watch them as well! See, I am so nice.

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)
COLETTE (Available in The Guardian) - The titular woman is a French resistance fighter who goes to the German concentration camp where her brother breathed his last. She’s assisted by a student who wants to document the repercussions of fascism in the hopes that by seeing the horrors of what happened last time, it doesn’t happen again. The two bond over this process and their relationship come to a wholesome conclusion. But it’s not an easy watch and unless you are a heartless bastard who doesn’t care about human life, there’s no way you’re coming out of this without tears in your eyes and scars on your soul.

A CONCERTO IS A CONVERSATION (Available in The New York Times) - Kris Bowers, who is a noted music composer in Hollywood, sits down for a conversation with his ailing grandfather while crafting a concerto. There he tells Kris about his origins, how he tackled racism, how he met Kris’s grandmother, and how proud he is to see his grandchild flourish. But somewhere he hopes that he had something to do with it. And through the movie, Kris essentially shows him that if he hadn’t done any of the things he has done, Kris wouldn’t be where he is. It’s sweet, warm, and beautifully edited, with my favourite cut being between the pedal of a steam press and the piano.

DO NOT SPLIT (Available on Field of Vision) - Based on the Hong Kong protests against the law that has been now imposed by China where anyone can be arrested and be sent to Mainland China for an indefinite amount of time (I know that’s an oversimplification). It shows the protests from the perspective of students, teachers, and just regular people who are repeatedly asking the administration that how are they doing this without any regret or remorse in their hearts. It also illustrates the mental toll such oppressive actions take on people who just want to live. It’s harrowing and scary, especially for someone watching in India where the largest protest in the world is still happening.