Feeling Through (2020) - Doug Roland and Susan Ruzenski (USA, 19 min) - 8/10
Like the best short films, this combines intense emotional impact with great acting and utilizes every single moment to delve deeper into the short story & its soul. It hints at a larger world of conflict and drama, allows for fun, invites callbacks, and provides for an emotionally resonant character arc. Just a tremendous short film.
Two Distant Strangers (2020) - Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe (USA, 25 min) - 7-/10
As I read in a tweet the other day, time loops are the new zombie. This felt like a finger-digging-into-the-pulse racist police violence Russian Doll film. Pretty on the nose for the moment, but not unwarranted. It is still able to be fun and clever while being depressing in its subject matter. Sort of became a video game kind of scenario and doesn’t provide a way forward, but maybe as the song says, it’s just the way it is.
Poignant look at the oppressive racial divide of Palestine & Israel and the silent torture this unnecessary hatred breeds, though the depth isn’t significant. But fine performances and an emotional story.
The Letter Room (2020) - Elvira Lind and Sofia Sondervan (USA, 33 min) - 6+/10
Hey! This one is vaguely light and not super depressive! Oscar Isaac and Alia Shawkat are strong. Isaac lets his thirst for companionship, righteousness, and fulfillment strive to be quenched, along with his literal thirst with his Brad Pitt-esque drinking of a beverage in every scene.
White Eye (2019) - Tomar Shushan and Shira Hochman (Israel, 21 min) - 6/10
The weakest of the lot, but still good. Definitely up front with its intentions. I think it was a single-shot film, which was impressive. Pointed racial and social commentary bubble up, also giving no solid explanations - a plight bigger than right/wrong or solvable.