Oscar Shorts 2013

Yeah, I'm DEFINITELY making this an annual tradition.

The Oscar-nominated short films are showing at the Tower Theater in Salt Lake City, and I managed to go catch a few of them.  Sadly, I didn't enjoy this batch quite as much as last year's, but they were still quite a bit better than most of the other movies I caught during 2013.  

Before I get into the films themselves, I must say I really appreciated some of the comments made by the filmmakers during the presentation.  There were a lot of comments about short films and how they may become increasingly relevant as people become more and more hurried.  Most importantly, the filmmakers spoke of how significant the act of making a film is, whatever the budget or technology available.  Honestly, to hear such dedicated artists speak so lovingly about their craft was quite inspiring.

Here's a brief rundown of the live-action shorts I managed to catch.

Helium (Directors: Anders Walter and Kim Magnusson)

This short film about a hospital aide who comforts a terminally-ill young boy with stories about a magical land of airships was definitely high on visual appeal.  It's a touching tale with some strong performances, especially from the chief actor.  The filmmakers also managed some pretty great visuals on a significantly less-than-Hollywood budget.

The Voorman Problem (Directors: Mark Gill and Baldwin Li)

British national treasure Martin Freeman stars in a story of a psychiatrist who must deal with a prison inmante who believes he is God.  Don't expect much in the line of philosophy here, though:  this one's a comedy, through and through.

Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just before Losing Everything) (Directors: Xavier Legrand and Alexandre Gavras)

This French film is my pick for best of show - the story of a woman taking her children and leaving an abusive relationship certainly leaves little room for warm fuzzies.  Rather, this was one tense thriller, evoking a sense of unease I haven't felt since the best of Hitchcock.  Darn fine cinema.

Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn’t Me) (Director: Esteban Crespo)

Speaking of tense, this tale of child soldiers in Africa (afraid I can't remember which country) was absolutely brutal.  I don't think I'd ever watch this film while curled up in a blanket with a tub of popcorn - but that's hardly the filmmaker's intent.  It's a solid picture, but quite discomfiting.  Pretty sure that was the point.

Pitääkö Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?) (Directors: Selma Vilhunen and Kirsikka Saari)

Heh.  No way this film wins.  But I'm glad it was included.  One family's frustrating attempt to make it to a friend's wedding on time leads them from one catastrophe to another.  This movie was a total hoot, and a great way to end the shorts program, especially after the bleakness of the previous two films.

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This year, I managed to catch a couple of the short-form documentaries as well.  I had to momentarily set aside my bias against documentary filmmaking to really get into the spirit of things.  Not sure how well I succeeded, though...

Sorry, but whenever I watch documentaries, I always get the nagging suspicion that the filmmakers, or the subject, or SOMEONE is lying to me.  As a genre of film that purports to expose truth, that's a pretty big bias to overcome.

Cavedigger (Director: Jeffrey Karoff)

Ra Paulette digs caves.  That's his profession.  More accurately speaking, though, caves are his art.  He looks at his caves as transformativ, both for himself and the people who commision his artwork.  The film mostly explores the tension that exists between artist and patron - the one with the vision versus the one with the pocketbook.

Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall (Director: Edgar Barens)

Jack Hall is in prison serving a life sentence after killing his son's drug dealer.  He's nearing the end of his sentence - he doesn't have much longer to live.  The prison sets him up in a hospice situation, where other inmates with life sentences spend their time washing him, helping him to the bathroom, and otherwise making sure his last days are comfortable.  Now, I'm not sure what motivated the filmmaker to try to capture a person's last days of life on film, but I do know the kindness and selflessness of the hospice workers felt truly genuine.  Honestly loved this film.

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The Tower's schedule is so erratic, I'm not sure if the films are even still showing.  If they are, though, go check 'em out.