Tropic Sprockets / The 2024 Oscar Shorts: Documentary

By Ian Brockway

The specter of war and conflict hovers in these shorts but fear not. The selections run the gambit from the lighthearted to the serious. Each one is compact, colorful, concise, and rich in information. This year’s selection is diverse and truly has something for everyone. [Showtimes at Tropiccinema.com.]

NǍI NAI & WÀI PÓ by Sean Wang and Sam Davis is a predominantly lighthearted look at two aged mothers-in-law who live together and bicker. Wai Po is in her 80s while Nai Nai is in her 90s. The two have a smooth rapport, although they do talk about each other’s flatulence to a large degree. Together they talk about memory and the passage of time. Nai-Nai is a war survivor. They are stable and quirky, philosophize and have accepted a rhythm of life. They spend their time dancing and eating together. This is an easy kind of Odd Couple film and it is comforting on the heart.

THE BARBER OF LITTLE ROCK by John Hoffman and Christine Turner focuses on Arlo Washington and his efforts to start a nonprofit community bank in his town. Washington clearly states that black citizens do not have the same opportunities as the white population, and he intends to shorten the economic chasm between white and black residents. This is extremely difficult because of the systemic racism in the United States of America. Black populations in Little Rock are treated differently. They are not offered credit cards or loans with ease, making the American dream an unreachable and unattainable fantasy. One reason for this is a profound lack of empathy.

The moment when Washington does an exercise illustrating the power of empathy is a must see and very emotional. The film clearly delineates the issues at hand and puts the power squarely in the hand of the individual and our social consciousness. We have the power to create the world we want.

ISLAND IN BETWEEN from S. Leo Chiang is a colorful and informative character study about the island of Kinmen, only a few kilometers from mainland China. Kinmen is an independent-minded island that had its brush with war. Tourists flock to it. While it seems a somewhat Gothic location out of the Count of Monte Cristo, the island seems content to bask in its individualist status. During the pandemic, the daily ferry shut down and the island endured great hardship. In watching the film. One gets the idea that this island is dear to the director’s heart and rightly so.

THE ABC’S OF BOOK BANNING by Sheila Nevins is it deceptively lighthearted and devastating look at the effort to ban books in school libraries. The sheer number of books enduring a ban is staggering. A definite highlight of this film are the kids who are precocious, witty, and brilliant. A standout is Grace Linn, a 100-year-old woman, who does not mince words, rightly pointing out that book banning is a hallmark of the Nazi regime, which could very well happen again if our leaders are not mindful or sensitive to our democracy.

This documentary is colorful and righteous without being overbearing or overly pessimistic. If that is not enough, our own Judy Blume is mentioned with her book Forever which happens to be under a ban.

Finally, THE LAST REPAIR SHOP by Ben Proudfoot is probably the most positive and buoyant entry as it underscores the universal and loving power of the musical instrument. The film offers minute portraits of repairers who work in a shop serving the L.A. Unified School District.

In the film we are treated to many quirky characters. There is Dana Atkinson who was an anxiety-ridden man, in terror from others seeing him as a gay man. Repairing instruments allowed him to become a free individual. There is also Paty Moreno from Mexico who found American happiness repairing brass instruments. There is Steve Bagmanyan, a man ripped apart by the Armenian war who found solace in piano tuning and then became the supervisor of the shop.

The film clearly shows music as a transformative and universal medium. This documentary is an absolute crowd pleaser. Along with “The ABCs of Book Banning,” it appears the one to beat.

This selection feels decidedly more lighthearted in tone than previous years and faithful to the tradition, these films are progressive, pointed, and dynamic with humor and heart.

Write Ian at [email protected]

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