You wouldn't believe the weather we've had here, or maybe you would. This year it has been a soul-sucker, and the thought of walking to the Riverview Theatre between blizzards and ice just didn't appeal to me, and luckily all of the shorts are available online, either Youtube, Amazon Prime or Netflix. Check them out, you won't regret it (I'd tell you if you would).
A Night at the Garden - A couple of my movie friends have debated whether this short film of archival footage from 1939 is really a documentary, or worthy of a nomination. The footage, which was shot in 1939 at a American Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden, is only about seven minutes, and features Fritz Kuhn, a naturalized American citizen (his citizenship was later revoked), exhorting the crowd to return America to its white, Christian roots. The rally is briefly interrupted by Isadore Greenbaum who charged the stage and was tackled and removed. It's frighteningly similar to many rallies we have seen in America, and some European countries, and perhaps that's why it earned the nomination. My issue with the nomination is that the director didn't create the footage, there's little context (more information on Kuhn, how the rally was organized, aftermath, information on Greenbaum - why he did what he did, repercussions, etc.). It's guaranteed to spur an emotional response in light of our current presidential administration, but I don't think that makes it a nominee or winner for Best Documentary Shorts.
Lifeboat is a documentary about the volunteer crews who sail along the Libyan coast, although not too close, looking for boats with refugees. Many (all?) of the boats are ill-equipped for any serious sea journey and are overcrowded and filled with people are scared, sick, not necessarily swimmers, and often cannot safely return to their home country. The filmmakers interview one of the crew, an English captain, who explains why he, and the others, do what they do, that for them it's a moral imperative, and he sees no other choice. Several of the refugees are interviewed as well, and while it's easy to say 'these people' shouldn't come here or there or anywhere, when you listen to their stories, and hear the fear in their voices about how they got into this situation and where they came from, it's difficult to hold the hardline. Many were stolen from their villages and sold in other countries for prostitution or labor; some were falsely accused of crimes and were imprisoned while their families were being extorted for their release; others were fleeing their homes to avoid harm coming to their children. It would benefit the world if 'first world' countries would actually get to the root of these reasons and try to find remedies. The 'catch' is that most of these countries don't have any natural resources that interest the global powers, therefore, they don't care. Thank goodness for the volunteers who risk their own safety on these rescue missions.
Black Sheep is about Cornelius Walker's experience growing up in Essex, England, after his mother moved his family out of London, with the hope that they would be save from racially motivated violence. I think it's safe to say that given what happened to Cornelius, that is ridiculously ironic. Cornelius and his family are black, and they have (unknowingly?) moved to a very racist housing estate in Essex where Cornelius is verbally and physically assaulted by his white neighbors. The documentary uses close ups shots of Cornelius as he tells his story intercut with dramatic re-enactments with an actor as Cornelius. He recounts his fear and anger, sometimes directed towards his father, but also towards the white kids. He makes a decision that I think is understandable, but perhaps not in his best interest: he tries to become white. In his mind, remember this happened when he was a young teenager, if he was white, they would accept him, so he bleached his skin, saved his money for contact lenses, and straightened his hair, and bought clothes that the white teenagers bought. This tactic actually works; they seemed to 'forget' his color and brought him into their group. Unfortunately, Cornelius also took on some of their more violent traits, getting into fights with other black kids, sometimes instigating the attacks. I think what he did represented one of the very basic characteristics of the human race, the need to be accepted by others, and how far someone is willing to go for that acceptance. What I wished was included is a little more about Cornelius now; I couldn't tell if he was eventually sent to jail, did he escape that violent lifestyle, reconcile with his father? What I also thought about was, were the white kids really racist or just afraid of someone they didn't know very well? They didn't seem to hold too tightly to a racist ideology; I think a true, hard core racist/white supremacist would not have accepted Cornelius because they knew he was still black, and that his parents were black. So was there hope with those kids if Cornelius would have tried something else to win their friendship? It would have added a different facet if there was an interview with one or two of his neighbors/friends to get their perspective.
End Game looks at palliative and end of life care, from the perspectives of the patients, the families and the caregivers. In many of the instances, the patients are aware of what is going on and able to communicate their wishes: do they want to be in hospice or stay at home. This ability to share these thoughts and all the fear and sadness that accompany them can be very helpful for their loved ones. People tend to run away from these discussions, which can make the time leading up to the final moments uncertain and fearful. When it is possible for people to have more of a say in their care, it gives them just a little more control than they have over everything else. The film shows us hospice volunteers and staff interacting with residents, discussing treatment, but also listening to them, maybe singing hymns. It's not an easy film to watch, but it is really important and shows the beauty of human kindness and death with dignity and bravery. It was a Netflix film and is online. I also recommend Extremis, also about end of life care and life-ending decisions; this was a Netflix film as well.
Period. End of Sentence. There are so many things that I loved about this documentary (available on Netflix) that I'm sure I'll forget something. In no particular order: it's about empowering a group of people who have historically been stripped of all empowerment; it shows the importance of micro economies and their impact; it discusses a taboo subject (menstruation); and provides a brief glimpse into a part of the world many of us will never experience. Starting at the beginning, menstruation is practically a forbidden topic in this village in India (and probably most villages), and many people (male and female) don't really understand what it is or why it happens, just that it's awkward and very disruptive. We learn about girls who quit school because they can't safely change clothing (men and boys leering at them), they're too embarrassed, people think they're 'dirty'. The advent of a less expensive sanitary napkin, made in the village, by the girls and women of that village is a game changer. The new employees learn how to use the napkin for themselves, and that helps them become advocates and great sales people; they also learn how to make them, which builds camaraderie with their fellow co-workers, that puts money in their pockets, allowing them to contribute to their household, and save for their own dreams, like training to become a police officer. How basic and simple, yet you can see the transformation of these girls who were shy and embarrassed to being able to speak for themselves, and even talk to their fathers or brothers and show them the factory. It's almost impossible to comprehend what a huge difference some sheets of cotton and fabric can make, especially in the US or Europe where we have so many options and I don't anyone who would think of quitting school for lack of this product. The napkins are called "Fly" because they will help the girls and women fly upward and reach their dreams. It's about a dream, and any entrepreneur in the US, Europe, Asia, anywhere, should appreciate how this dream is made into reality. Seriously, watch this film. It's less than a half an hour.
