Best Documentary (Short Subject): Ranking Every Oscar Nominee
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
While I feel like the Best Documentary (Short Subject) category is the most overlooked at the Academy Awards, I have to be brutally honest. I don’t think that’s going to change this year. If anything, this category left me the most underwhelmed of the bunch. I do like some of these films, but nothing blew me away, and I was disappointed in a couple of nominees. Usually this category is much stronger, especially since so much has to be said in such a small amount of time. It is what it is. I also want to emphasize that I am grading these shorts as films, not on what they are saying, as to avoid any form of political scrutiny. I do hate having to rank or be subjective about works that vow to highlight important discussions, so take that into account as well whilst reading. Here are your nominees.
Biggest Snub: Coded: The Hidden Love of J.C. Leyendecker
How this documentary about illustrator extraordinaire J. C. Leyendecker didn’t get nominated is beyond me. This could have actually won the entire category, and yet it is completely absent. Coded is incredibly important, just around the right duration, lovingly made, and quite effective. I won’t go on to proclaim it a masterpiece or anything too extreme, but Coded was absolutely one of the strongest documentary shorts of 2021 (especially because it seemed to be a weak year).
5. Lead Me Home
There’s a very important story here about the rising number of homeless citizens across the world (particularly in western cities of America, here), but I think the delivery of Lead Me Home hurts what could have been a more direct statement. I don’t think the film needed to be forty minutes long to open the eyes of any viewer into seeing how bad the homeless crisis is getting, especially when five minutes of shots and any amount of interviews will shake viewers to their core. I hate having to critique a film when it has a noble and worthy cause of existing, but Lead Me Home will likely have viewers focusing more on their watches than leaving with a changed perspective on people who deserve to be treated better. As a cause, Lead Me Home is great. As a film, it is bloated and aimless.
Rating: 2.5/5
4. Three Songs For Benazir
Three Songs For Benazir is one of those documentary shorts that places us in the shoes of another walk of life, even if there isn’t some massive, over-arching statement here. In this case, it’s the titular Benazir’s husband Shaista and his juggling act of various different identities: should he fight in the Afghan army, or continue to be a father figure (despite the difficulties his family faces)? It’s an interesting perspective, especially since there’s no definitive answer as to how Shaista can best support his family. We’re faced with this dilemma for the entire time, and that’s about it. Three Songs For Benazir luckily does’t wallow for too long.
Rating: 3/5
3. Audible
A moving look at the Maryland School for the Deaf football team, told in a way that feels inclusive. The one major qualm here is that I think it is the wrong length. It either needed to be shorter (and more based on one aspect of player Amaree McKenstry-Hall’s journey alone), or a fully fledged documentary feature that explored more players and a longer time with this team. Nonetheless, Audible is quite strong as it is, but I can only imagine what it could have been.
Rating: 3.5/5
2. When We Were Bullies
I like When We Were Bullies more as a concept than I do as an end result: a bully of fifty years ago has come in contact with his old school to try and see if he can right his wrongs. It feels a bit like a misconstruing of what bullying can do to people long term, but the film is also nicely assembled (with the heavy usage of class portraits to tell a story), is well intentioned (while misguided at times), and at least a different usage of what a documentary film can be. When We Were Bullies is interesting enough, even if not every note lands as intended.
Rating: 3.5/5
1. The Queen of Basketball
Lucy Harris’ achievements must be known in 2022, and there’s something really heartbreaking about the nomination of The Queen of Basketball right after she passed away; it’s as if her spirit is with us, and her legacy must go on in any capacity. Even though the film is a bit single-noted, it’s short and poignant enough that it gets its message across (the uphill battles Harris faced as a female basketball legend back in the ‘70s, whilst the career she was willing to give up to be a mother, especially when sports didn’t pay enough). Her achievements are impossible to encapsulate in a short film, but any moment spent with such a shining spirit is worthwhile, and The Queen of Basketball makes the most of this fortunate sit-down interview.
Rating: 4/5
What I want to win: Let’s not waste any time. The Queen of Basketball was the only short I liked strongly enough.
What I think will win: The Queen of Basketball also has the best odds of winning at this present point in time.
Tune in tomorrow for our next Academy Award category! We’re reviewing every single nominee on every weekday.
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.