Documentary Shorts

 

• All the Empty Rooms

Steve Hartman is a newscaster who brings people the feel-good story at the end of the broadcast. Something that takes all of the bad headlines and puts a shiny, happy smile at the end of the show. Until the day he decides to work with a photographer to capture the bedrooms of every child who has been killed by gun violence. He builds relationships with each family, learns the story of their lost child, and creates a tribute to the child’s innocence wondering who the boy or girl might have become had life not been cut tragically short. A beautiful and moving short.

• Armed With Only a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud

War correspondent Brent Renaud lost his life doing what he loved, showing the world the stories of terrible wars abroad, and some horrifying violence at home in the United States. He remained transfixed with bringing terrifying images to those who remain at a distance from what is happening and not always being shown to those who are not necessarily paying attention. Each time a documentary marking the life of these journalists and their deaths, I can’t help but wonder why anyone would do a job like this. Some people are just built that way, and they will risk anything to do the work they’ve chosen. It’s a hard film to watch but I can’t say that this short was much different than any of the others with the same theme about other war photographers.

• Children No More: Were and Are Gone

Here is a short about Israelis who are protesting the war between Hamas, a terrorist organization, and the state of Israel. It’s fair to say that the film makes attempts at showing a fuller picture than those ridiculously claiming “genocide,” and at least allows at least one calm Israeli voice through - the general sentiment being that of course people can and should mourn anytime innocent people are killed, but the ideal and the reality of fighting a terrorist organization embedded in civil society (itself a war crime) and the film never mentions that the death rate in Gaza is the lowest in history for urban warfare. I love the heart of people who mourn the deaths of innocents, but to do so without any rational context (and this film gives almost none) is at best absurd and at worst, dangerous propaganda when around the world, Jews are at risk every day while Jew hatred abounds.

• The Devil is Busy

An extraordinary film about one small women’s health care clinic in a state that allows abortions to be performed up to 6 weeks (and let’s face it, most women don’t even know that they are pregnant at that point). The head of security who works 12+ hour days shows us how the women are screamed at, how protesters harass anyone who goes to the clinic, and how anyone even near the clinic is generally at risk for his or her own life. This outstanding short will hopefully enrage you, and remind us all that women’s health care belongs with women and their doctors. Most important of all, if you don’t believe in abortion, don’t have one. Otherwise, butt out.

• Perfectly a Strangeness

I saw this film and I still don’t know what the heck it was about. Three mules are crossing the dryest of deserts and somehow arrive at an observatory. Then there are some beautiful images of the observatory and perhaps telescope at work. How the mules are part of the story is totally beyond me. What this film was even about - if it was indeed about anything (which I can’t guarantee) - well, I have no idea. Having seen some of the other films on the short list, I genuinely can’t figure out how this one made it to the top 5.