Best Documentary (Short Subject): Ranking Every Oscar Nominee
How much can be said in a short amount of time? Best Documentary (Short Subject) is likely the most overlooked category at the Academy Awards, since it combines two areas many common movie goers sadly overlook (documentaries, and short films). Not to worry. The Academy is still allowing filmmakers to thrive in this category. It’s actually a major test, because getting a solid point across in less than forty minutes is incredibly difficult. We feel that most of these nominees succeeded with this mission, but not all this year. As can be expected, the running theme this year is politics, whether it’s upfront or an underlying part of a short. We’re looking at how these messages were delivered, what the actual subject matter is, and the use of time. You know what time it is: ranking time.
Here are your nominees for Best Documentary (Short Subject), ranked from worst to best.
Biggest Snub: Fire in Paradise
In 2020, Australia has been on fire for weeks. This Netflix documentary focused on the Camp Fire inferno of California in 2018 is still relevant (California hasn’t really recovered since), if not on a global scale now. Unnerving content captured exquisitely (which is bittersweet, considering what you are witnessing), Fire in Paradise was a shortlisted nominee that could have easily made the cut (even above the other Netflix short here Life Overtakes Me).
5. Walk Run Cha-Cha
The premise here is very sweet, and we understand why this film had to be made. Two survivors of the Vietnam War have grown up as professional dancers in California. So, we hear them discuss their youths, and then it’s the final number: a dance number set to a cover of “We’ve Only Just Begun” by The Carpenters. We get it. The dance is meant to let out all of the pent up history and emotions on the floor, and this sequence makes the entire short worthwhile. Hearing these tragic stories is one thing, but Walk Run Cha-Cha doesn’t do much to elevate these confessions outside of the conclusion. Sweet, smart, but somewhat forgettable, which is sad considering the subject matter.
Rating: 3/5
4. Life Overtakes Me
Parts of Life Overtakes Me are captured well. Dealing with a phenomenon called “resignation syndrome”, when trauma sends people into a state akin to being comatose, Life Overtakes Me takes place in Sweden, where the syndrome was first theorized back in 1990. Today, this Netflix documentary looks at children currently dealing with the hardships of being refugees. With nature shots (particularly of frozen trees and chilling rivers) which replicate the stillness of being in such a position, there are a number of artistic parallels made to enhance the experience. We also get many first hand accounts of children experiencing resignation syndrome. However, Life Overtakes Me runs on just a little too long without saying anything different throughout, which takes away from the gravity of the information being presented.
Rating: 3.5/5
3. In the Absence
Somehow, In the Absence successfully crams three years of heartbreak into less than half an hour. Starting with the 2014 sinking of the MV Sewol in South Korea (which you actually can see in the film, with news clips and live footage included), we end the film with zero resolution when it comes to the hundreds of casualties from the accident. In between, we listen to the grieving loved ones, wait at the gate of the dock with them for some answers, and watch an entire society call for action after nothing was done about this crisis. In just thirty minutes, you see death turn into the rebirth of a society vowing to make this story known. In the Absence, picked up by Field of Vision, does this massacre a great service.
Rating: 4/5
2. St. Louis Superman
Following the impact that Bruce Franks Jr. left as a political representative in Missouri, St. Louis Superman finds the common ground between activism, debates, and battle rapping: a way with words. One of MTV’s finer moments tied to actual music lately, this decently sized short film (just under half an hour) gets into the nitty gritty of Franks Jr.’s life, including the impact left in his mind and heart after the murder of his child brother. St. Louis Superman is a neutral documentary that allows its subject matter to shine, and Bruce Franks Jr. does just that in an incredibly moving look at the want for a better society, and the music that connects us when politics can’t.
Rating: 4/5
1. Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)
So much of this documentary short reminds us of last year’s winner Period. End of Sentence, particularly the effort to educate a new generation of girls in a society that has shunned then from the ability to learn. In Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl), these children are neglected even the basic academic lessons, including reading and writing. They are especially forbidden from expressing themselves in any physical activity. So, these female youths of Kabul, Afghanistan, are educated by Skateistan: a non-profit charity that rebels against these belittling oppressions. For forty minutes, you’re watching girls get educated, and use skateboarding as a variety of outlets: channeling frustration, learning self reliance, and experiencing freedom as they speed along on their boards. It’s a loving film with a lot of darkness underneath, but it’s this kind of restoration in humanity that we could all use.
Rating: 4/5
Who we want to win: We feel as though Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl), St. Louis Superman, and In the Absence accomplished their goals the greatest, so any of these three winning is good for us.
Who we think will win: It can go one of two ways. Either St. Louis Superman’s accolade streak continues all the way to the Oscars stage, or Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)’s message and approach can allow the short to swoop in for the win. We’ll pick St. Louis Superman given the film’s current buzz, but it’s so difficult to know with shorts.
Tune in tomorrow for our next Academy Award category! We’re reviewing every single nominee.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.