PalCinema Review: Oscar-Nominated Shorts
Up first: Live-Action Shorts
February 10, 2025
Oscar-Nominated Live-Action Shorts:
For years the Oscar ceremonies would be held and many of us held parties where everyone had to predict the winners. That would come as a challenge whenever we encountered the shorts categories: Live Action, Animated, and Documentary. It wasn’t that they were bad films (even Our Gang won one in the 1930s!) it’s just that they were hard to find to really evaluate. It would be a guessing game as to what would win in each of those categories. That’s changed in recent years as most of these shorts have become available via ITunes and other streaming platforms. They’re also released theatrically in the final weeks leading up to the Oscars. This week interested viewers can check out them out. Here’s my assessment of the live action shorts:
Anuja
Set in India, Anuja looks at a young girl who works in a factory but is given the chance to take an exam which would take her life in a completely different direction. She’s a math whiz, who also walks the gritty streets trying to sell bags made by her big sister Palak. The film suggests that there are other avenues for success for women, but these come with a price. Anuja is a well-made and very involving film. The end is a bit open-ended leaving us to decide what direction a young girl should take.
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
This Croatian film won the Palme d’Or for shorts at the Cannes Film Festival last Spring. Taking place in 1993, a passenger train is stopped by “armed forces” demanding people to present their identification papers. Each is asked what their family’s patron saint is in order to initiate “ethnic cleansing” in the war-torn region. Two men are initially at the center of the 13-minute story – one who has his papers and one who does not. A third man speaks up scolding the militia whom he feels have no right to its demands. He’s the “silent” man of the title and his part is surprisingly very small. There is a lot of tension in the film though and another somewhat open-ended resolution to the narrative.
I’m Not a Robot
How many of us have not been frustrated when a website asks us to identify cars, motorcyles, etc. to determine if we are robots or not? It’s crazy to think that such selections could determine our humanity! That’s exactly what happens to Lara in this Dutch film. Her computer keeps suggesting that she is a robot, leading to Lara’s own questioning of her human status. The initial idea here is pretty funny, but the implications grow much darker. What if we were told we were robots? It’s a very original concept (although an IMDB search finds that there are many films with the same title) and quite thought-provoking.
A Lien
This may be the most intense of all the nominated live action shorts this year – and one that may be the most relevant to U.S. life today. It concerns a married couple, she’s an American citizen while he is originally from El Salvador but has lived most of his life in Queens, New York. They are at a government office with their young daughter for the processing of his green card application. Already running late, the film captures the chaotic and tension-filled situation with fast moving handheld cameras which focus tightly on the protagonists as things get increasingly complicated. The film arrives at a time when our country, under Trump, is deporting undocumented immigrants and tearing families apart. It's a rough, emotional, and eye-opening look at a terrifying family moment.
The Last Ranger
From South Africa, The Last Ranger concerns the tragic condition of rhinos who are brutally dismembered for their horns by greedy poachers. Khusi is a ranger who watches over a wild reserve which should in theory protect the animals. When young Litha travels with Khusi one day they are confronted with a situation that is emotionally devastating to watch. The animals are peaceful and beautiful while the poachers are the enemies who destroy their serene lives. The film builds to a gripping climax that is hard not to forget – and we shouldn’t. It’s a tough watch but well-worth the education it provides.
What should and will win?
I’ve seen many of the live action shorts over the years and this is one of the best collection of nominees I’ve encountered. Each of them is well-directed and emotionally stirring. The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent and A Lien probably are the most relevant to a wider audience than the others, with the latter hitting at just the right time for Oscar voters to embrace it social-political message. The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent might have the edge for European voters (of which there are a LOT in the Academy) but my vote would go to A Lien. I wouldn’t count out any of the others though, especially The Last Ranger. I’m Not a Robot may also be the most entertaining and provocative of the bunch.
What should win: A Lien
What will win: The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
The Oscar-nominated Live-Action Shorts will be available beginning this week theatrically, including the Music Box Theater in Chicago.
Have you seen any of these shorts? What do you think?
My wife and I go to a local arthouse cinema every year to watch the Manhattan Shorts Film Festival. Occasionally, the films get Oscar nods, and this year, two did (I Am Not A Robot and The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent).
I love short films because the depth of the storytelling has to be spot on. I also always love the Manhattan Short Films Fest, as it is a curated batch of about ten films from around the world, stories and filmmaking told through a different lens and perspective, and you also get to vote on your favorite. It's a great night out.
An excellent group of films. Much variety but each gripping in its own way. I would be hard pressed to have to choose one.