2023 Docs & Shorts
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22 titles
- DirectorNisha PahujaRanjit, a farmer in India, takes on the fight of his life when he demands justice for his 13-year-old daughter, the victim of a brutal gang rape. His decision to support his daughter is virtually unheard of, and his journey unprecedented.1x - Powerful story of a family willing to stand up against their culture and community for justice when a girl is raped.
- DirectorMoses BwayoChristopher SharpStarsBarbie KyagulanyiBobi WineFollows Ugandan opposition leader, activist and musical star Bobi Wine. He used his music to fight the regime led by Yoweri Museveni, the person who led the country for 35 years.D+ - A good traditional documentary about a musician turned politician fighting against a dictatorial regime in Uganda.
- DirectorMstyslav ChernovStarsMstyslav ChernovEvgeniy MaloletkaLiudmyla AmelkinaAs the Russian invasion begins, a team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to continue their work documenting the war's atrocities.PBS - Important evidence of the horrifyingly brutal invasion of a key city by Russian forces, impressive in the great visuals and tremendous risks taken by its filmmakers, even though there is not much narrative.
- DirectorMadeleine GavinStarsHyeonseo LeeSung-eun KimSo-yeon LeeThe story of several families as they attempt to escape oppression in North Korea, revealing a world most of us have never seen.Online sneak & Q&A - A traditionally told doc with a powerful story about Koreans escaping from North Korea through China & the people who help them.
- DirectorMatthew HeinemanStarsJon BatisteLindsey ByrnesJonathan DinklageIn this deeply intimate documentary, musician Jon Batiste attempts to compose a symphony as his wife, writer Suleika Jaouad, undergoes cancer treatment.NF - Paralleling the highs of Baptiste’s Grammy wins with the lows of his wife’s concurrent cancer treatments without providing much insight into either
- DirectorKris BowersBen ProudfootStarsDana AtkinsonDuane MichaelsPaty MorenoTells the story of four unassuming heroes who ensure no student is deprived of the joy of music. It is also a reminder of how music can be the best medicine, stress reliever and even an escape from poverty.LAT - A traditionally told doc - with compelling stories of the craftsman who work at the repair shop for instruments provided to LA students.
- DirectorDave MullinsStarsJake McLeanAt a World War I front, a carrier pigeon delivers moves messages between two soldiers playing a chess game, unaware they are on opposite sides.1x - A sweet story of commonality in war with good animation and music.
- DirectorStéphanie ClémentStarsMichelle BrubachChrista ThéretLike every summer, Louise stays at her grandparents' in the countryside for a few days during the holidays. It will snow at the height of summer and a monster is going to die.1x - Each shot looks like a painting in this subtle tale of lost childhood innocence.
- DirectorVincent René-LortieStarsLéokim Beaumier-LépineÉlia St-PierreIsabelle BlaisInspired by a true story, Invincible recounts the last 48 hours in the life of Marc-Antoine Bernier, a 14-year-old boy on a desperate quest for freedom.1x - A moving story of a boy struggling in a juvenile center in Canada.
- DirectorWes AndersonStarsRalph FiennesBenedict CumberbatchDev PatelChronicles a variety of stories, but the main one follows Henry Sugar, who is able to see through objects and predict the future with the help of a book he stole.1x, NF - A well-acted but annoying telling of a slight short story with sets and actions that unnecessarily emphasize the artifice instead of involving or transporting you.
- DirectorJohn HoffmanChristine TurnerStarsCocoa BroadwayArlo WashingtonThe work of Arlo Washington, an African-American barber who founded a nonprofit community bank dedicated to providing economic opportunities for their community that mainstream banks will not offer.NYer - An important and hopeful look at investments in businesses and people in underfunded communities.
- DirectorKaouther Ben HaniaStarsOlfa HamrouniEya ChikhaouiTayssir ChikhaouiBetween light and darkness stands Olfa, a Tunisian woman and the mother of four daughters. One day, her two older daughters disappear. Filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania invites professional actresses to fill in their absence.Kino - A harrowing story whose dramatic impact is drained by the inclusion of a making of rather than a simple reenactment or retelling by the individuals who experienced it.
- DirectorMaite AlberdiStarsAugusto GóngoraPaulina UrrutiaGustavo CeratiAugusto and Paulina have been together for 25 years. Eight years ago, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Both fear the day he no longer recognizes her.P+ - Some touching real life footage of mental decline without enough of a narrative.
- DirectorSean WangStarsYi Yan FueiZhang Li HuaA personal love letter from director Sean Wang to his Nai Nai and Wài Pó, a grandma super team that dances, stretches, and farts their sorrows away.D+ - A sweet short about grandmothers living together that relies a little too much on cute Tik Tok stunts.
- DirectorLasse Lyskjær NoerStarsLeif AndréeJens Jørn SpottagJesper LohmannThe loss of a loved one, the grief, the risk of yellow skin, and a coffin, that is too much for Karl to face.1x, NYer - A slight look at how strangers can come together in grief.
- DirectorMisan HarrimanStarsDavid OyelowoJessica PlummerAmelie DokuboIn this intense short film, a grieving rideshare driver picks up a passenger who helps him confront the past.NF - An emotional tale of tragedy, grief and the unexpected human interactions that can trigger healing.
- DirectorJared HessJerusha HessStarsTim Blake NelsonAn ode to the body's five senses delivered by a man with little time left to enjoy them.YT - Bad animation style with an interesting monologue from a condemned man talking about his sensorial experiences before death.
- DirectorTal KantorStarsMoriyah MeersonAlexander PelegAyelet MargalitA traumatic memory from a Holocaust survivor transports a young schoolgirl on an inner journey.1x - Ugly rotoscoped animation diminishes the powerful initial survivor’s story that the animators use to tell a strange leap into the imagination of one child listening.
- DirectorNazrin ChoudhuryStarsBrittany SnowJuliet DonenfeldRedding MunsellA poor single mother must go out of state for a necessary abortion.1x - An effective manipulative presentation of an extreme and rare circumstance to gain favor for a political position.
- DirectorS. Leo ChiangS. Leo Chiang reflects on his relationship with Taiwan, the United States and China from the islands of Kinmen, just a few miles from mainland China.NYT - A lot of observations about the island between Taiwan and China without many insights.
- DirectorSheila NevinsTrish AdlesicNazenet HabtezghiStarsAdlerRuth AnneAriannaReveals the voices of the impacted parties of books banned from school districts, inspiring hope for the future through the profound insights of inquisitive youthful minds.P+ - A documentary about an important subject that overuses simple excerpts from the books and interviews with children and fails to explain exactly what is meant by “banned” or what the arguments on each side may be.
- DirectorYegane MoghaddamAn Iranian girl unfolds her school memories on the wrinkles and fabrics of her old uniform.1x - The use of bad animation on real clothing items detracts from this story of growing up in Tehran.