The 20th annual “Oscar-Nominated Short Films” theatrical release, presented by Shorts, starts at the M.V. Film Center on Feb. 14. The international films are divided into three categories: live-action and animation, which are reviewed here, and documentaries, which will be reviewed next week.
The live-action shorts address a wide range of narratives. “Anuja,” by writer and director Adam J. Graves, is a beautiful film from India about sisterly love. We meet the two young girls whose mother has died, living in a makeshift home on the streets and working in a sweatshop factory. A local teacher urges the boss to let 9-year-old Anuja, an unexpected math whiz, take the test for a scholarship to a boarding school. The action-filled journey to find the meager fee for the exam tests their sibling bond and ultimate fate.
“I’m Not a Robot,” from the Netherlands, is directed by Victoria Warmerdam. In a music-industry office, the young employee gets locked out of her computer when she can’t pass those terribly annoying security tests to prove you are a person. What is initially amusing when her humanity is questioned turns deadly serious as the story unfolds.
David Cutler-Kreutz and Sam Cutler-Kreutz’s “A Lien” is uncomfortably timely, and based on real-life scenarios. The film is about a young couple: an American wife, her immigrant husband, who was born in El Salvador but feels anchored in Queens, N.Y., and their daughter, born in the U.S. The tension starts from the first moment as they rush to the husband’s green card interview, only to be met by great danger as he tries to gain legal citizenship.
The South African short “The Last Ranger” by Cindy Lee follows a young girl, Litha, who is introduced to the magic of a game reserve by the last remaining ranger. When poachers ambush them, Litha discovers a terrible secret in the ensuing battle to save the rhinos.
Nebojsa Slijepcevic directs the Croatian/Bulgarian film “The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent.” It is based on a true story about an incident that took the lives of 19 people. The tension builds as paramilitary forces board a train in an ethnic-cleansing raid, during which only one man out of the 500 passengers stands up for what is right.
The animated shorts take a diverse approach to the genre, but are linked by artistic innovation, creating visually arresting films suitable for adults.
Nicolas Keppens directs “Beautiful Men,” a film from Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. In 2021, with hints of the pandemic still present, three brothers check into a hotel in Istanbul, far from home. They have come to get hair transplants, but due to a mix-up, only one appointment is available. As time passes, their insecurities and rivalries grow faster than their hair, revealing disturbing truths.
In Iranian directors Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani’s film “In the Shadow of the Cypress,” a former captain lives in a house by the sea with his daughter. Nightmarish post-traumatic stress rules his life, and he alternates unpredictably between rage and depression. His daughter leaves as an act of self-preservation, only to find a beached whale outside their lonely home. The situation becomes increasingly dire as the two try to rescue the helpless mammoth creature, weaving together a powerful story told without words.
The enchantingly animated Japanese short by Daisuke Nishio, “Magic Candies,” is genuinely full of magic. The endearing young lad, Dong-Dong, says he is perfectly happy playing marbles alone, with only his dog to keep him company. He insists that the other kids don’t know what they are missing. When Dong-Dong goes to acquire new marbles, he ends up buying marble-shaped candies, which turn out to be magic, allowing him to hear voices. Dong-Dong’s couch orders him to tell his overbearing father to stop farting. His dog reminds him of their strong connection when he was a puppy. Things become stranger and more magical as Dong-Dong eats his way through the bonbons, only to end up in an entirely new place after they are gone.
Nina Gantz directs “Wander to Wonder,” from the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. In this fantasy gone wild, Mary, Billybud, and Fumbleton are three tiny humans who star in a kids’ television series called “Wander to Wonder.” After the creator dies, they are left alone in the decaying studio. Struggling as though in some strange Shakespearean tragedy to find enough to eat, they continue to make increasingly unsettling episodes for their invisible fans.
Loïc Espuche directs the French short animation “Yuck!” which is the first thing kids think when seeing adults kiss each other on the mouth. Spying on a couple, little Lucy comments, “Kissing when you’re old should be banned.” Young Leo responds, “No kissing at any age.” In Espuche’s world, kissing is particularly obvious, as lips begin to glisten hot pink, which becomes a dead giveaway when Leo finds his own start to light up beyond his control.
“Oscar-Nominated Short Films” begin at the M.V. Film Center on Feb. 14.
Live-action shorts: mvfilmsociety.com/2024/12/oscar-nominated-short-films-live-action
Animation shorts: mvfilmsociety.com/2024/12/oscar-nominated-short-films-animation
Documentary shorts: mvfilmsociety.com/2024/12/oscar-nominated-short-films-documentary
