In this second of three breakdowns of the Short nominees (see Animated Short here), I examine the five films nominated for Best Documentary Short Subject at the 91st Academy Awards. Note that you can freely stream all five films on YouTube and Netflix, or you can at a theater near you this month.
Below you will find my own personal ranking of the five nominees for Best Documentary Short Subject, along with a section on their Oscar prospects.
5. End Game
“Facing an inevitable outcome, terminally ill patients meet extraordinary medical practitioners seeking to change our approach to life and death.”
It has always been difficult to separate subject matter from artistry when it comes to appreciating a good documentary for many, myself included. In this case, I did not find much insight or particular artistry in End Game, about a very important subject but still manages to mostly feel like inappropriately eavesdropping on families having some of the most difficult conversations of their lifetimes. Of course I felt great heartache and sympathy for the patients and their families. I just wished there was more here than the repetitive message of “death is a part of life.”
Oscar prospects: I imagine Oscar voters will feel the emotional impact of this, plus it comes from Netflix and we know how well they’ve campaigned over the last few years. It has a strong chance, especially compared some of the more experimental films it is nominated against. But it might just be too bleak in the end.
4. A Night at The Garden
“In 1939, 20,000 Americans rallied in New York’s Madison Square Garden to celebrate the rise of Nazism – an event largely forgotten from American history.”
Seven minutes of archival footage make up A Night at The Garden. The film does not include any talking heads or modern-day filmmaking, just placing an evocative score under the striking footage of Americans congregating to revel in the rise of Nazism. It is a powerful story and stunningly frank, with obvious parallels to Trump and his infamous rallies. I have to admit I’m surprised the documentary branch nominated this considering how prejudiced they are against docs that make heavy use of archival footage.
Oscar prospects: This was probably one of the more famous docs in the race, for the story behind it alone. I can also see an appeal for some voters that its runtime is just seven minutes, compared to the 30- or 40-minute docs in the race. It also speaks pretty directly about the times we are living in. And yet, it really is just archival footage in the end, and I don’t know if Academy voters will be impressed with this style of filmmaking.
3. Black Sheep
“Scared for her son’s safety, Cornelius’ mother moves their family out of London and on to a white estate ran by a racist gang.”
Like with Night at The Garden, I’m surprised this is nominated because most of it is reenactments. Black Sheep features a super compelling subject in Cornelius Walker, who speaks frankly to the camera about a harrowing, life-changing moment of his past. The reenactments make the story come to life, and it does speak to our current discussions about race relations and the conflicting nature of reaching out to those who initially despise your very existence.
Oscar prospects: It’s hard to say if voters will want to honor a documentary that primarily features reenactments, but it getting the nomination from the fussy doc branch was probably its biggest hurdle. Like A Night at The Garden, Black Sheep is a timely doc that happens to take place in the past and I can imagine voters being affected by its complex message.
2. Lifeboat
“Lifeboat bears witness to refugees desperate enough to risk their lives in rubber boats leaving Libya in the middle of the night, despite a high probability of drowning. With few resources but certain that civil society must intervene, volunteers from a German non-profit risk the waves of the Mediterranean to pluck refugees from sinking rafts.”
There is typically at least one doc in the race that was visibly demanding to make, and this year
Oscar prospects: Again, hard to say. It is highly relevant, much like A Night at The Garden and Black Sheep, but unlike those films, there is the actual physical filmmaking element to it that could set it apart. At the same time, I could see it splitting some votes with End Game, as docs that depict human suffering in powerful ways.
1. Period. End of Sentence.
“In rural India, where the stigma of menstruation persists, women make low-cost sanitary pads on a new machine and stride toward financial independence.”
Period. End of Sentence. stands alone as a rousing, hopeful doc in this crop of bleak films. While highlighting a vital issue in India that women are forced to endure, this film shows the tenacity of women who won’t stand for it and are compelled to go out and help each other. There is an optimism to this doc that makes you not want to weep for humanity, showing the determination of the human spirit, and the enterprising women at the center are infectious in their desire to make a positive impact in their communities.
Oscar prospects: I feel relatively confident that Period. End of Sentence. can win this thing, as long as voters don’t deem it too lightweight. That lightweight feeling may actually help it, considering its competition, and it is filmed in such a way that it’s hard not to be captivated by its protagonists. Voters may also feel they are making a difference in the world by highlighting this international struggle.