Tropic Sprockets / The 2017 Oscar Shorts: Live Action
By Ian Brockway
This year’s Oscar shorts in the Live Action category have an existential tone once more. But each film is lively, thoughtful and compelling, certain to get everyone talking. Curiously, no entry is from the United States. Instead, we are treated to a trip around the world and not a single story here will have you jet-lagged.
“Sing” from Hungary, centers on an award winning school choir. Zsofia (Dorka Gáspárfalvi) is told by the authoritarian conductor not to sing because she has no talent. The young newcomer is horrified, but she is warned to stay silent or face exclusion by her peers. Zsofia begins a friendship with seasoned singer Liza (Dorottya Hais). Will Zsofia stay quiet and risk the friendship or tell the truth and chance guilt if the group loses the competition? The end is a surprise.
From Denmark, “Silent Nights” is impactful and heartfelt. Inger (Malene Beltoff Olsen) a volunteer worker, falls in love with an imperiled immigrant from Ghana. To complicate matters, Inger has an invalid mother who is sadly racist. Worse, things are not as they first appear. This short is as apprehensive as it is hopeful.
Continuing on the topical subject of immigration, France’s “Enemies Within” by director Selim Azzazi, is a stand alone gem. A hopeful Algerian (Fares Azzizi) yearns for Parisian citizenship, but is questioned mercilessly. The man admits that he had a meeting with a group of friends after prayer, but insists he is innocent of any conceivable wrong. Previously, he was sentenced to two years in jail, merely because he is Algerian. This is not satisfactory for his interrogator (Najib Oudghiri) who continues to question him with ever increasing force. The man soon tires, his patience spent. Reminicent of The Trial by Kafka, the tension of this story never lessens. The scope of this short film is much larger than its brief running time.
In “The Railroad Lady” an eccentric Swiss woman (Jane Birkin) falls in love with a train traveler whom she has never met. She is visited periodically by her mystified son Pierre (Mathieu Bisson), but this woman, a solitary baker, may be the most content of all. Sizzling with color, this selection is understated yet festive.
Lastly from Spain, “Timecode” centers on two taciturn parking guards, Luna (Lali Ayguadé) and Diego (Nicolas Ricchini) who only become animated when they dance wildly in front of the security cameras. Fizzy, concise and little more than a sketch, this vignette is nonetheless a scene-stealer that will have you giggling for the full fifteen minutes of running time.
Whether you are in the mood for a heartfelt friendship, the push and pull of romance, Kafkaesque interrogators, or a Spanish caprice, the 2017 Live Action Shorts has plenty of the unexpected for all.
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