Hey film fans, Slick Dungeon here! I am back on my quest to review every film nominated for an Oscar and review it. This time I am reviewing a bunch of movies all at once as I go through the nominations for Best Documentary Short Film. Here’s the thing about these. I almost hate to review these because each and every one of them took a great effort and a massive amount of time for the film makers. All of them talk about something that is either important to life or our society in general. So, to say that one is better than another in a category where there are not Hollywood stars, the films were made from the passion of the filmmakers, and each covers an important topic is almost impossible. I absolutely recommend you watch each and every one of these films. You can find all of them streaming for free somewhere so it doesn’t cost you anything but time. But, in the end, one of these has to win over the others. Therefore, I will do my best to let you know about each film and then I will give you my guess as to which one will win. Do be warned there are spoilers for all of these so if you haven’t seen them go watch first and come back here to read the review. (You should watch them anyway even if you just go ahead and read the review)

The ABC’s of Book Banning

There has been a lot of debate in America about books lately. There is a group of people who tends to want to restrict access to reading material based on a variety of factors, especially in the public school and public library systems. This makes obtaining appropriate reading material difficult for a large group of children. This film specifically takes a look at Florida, one of the states most notorious for denying reading material to kids based on LGBTQ issues and topics discussing race in history. What this film dares to do is to hear from the children who are affected. We see several kids of varying ages talk about what reading means to them and how confusing it is to them that books are missing from the libraries. Anyone thinking this is a topic that doesn’t matter should watch this film and rethink their stance. Allowing kids access to reading materials is vital to the future generations and a small group of people deciding what other people’s children can read is unjust. You can see this clearly when one of the kids talks about how she cried all day the day her library pulled most of their books down. The film does a good job of covering the perspective of the children but it perhaps could have used a little bit more buildup of the context of what has already happened here.

The Barber of Little Rock

The Barber of Little Rock is about a man named Arlo Washington. He is a barber in Little Rock, Arkansas as the name implies. But he is so much more than that. Out of all of these documentaries, Washington may be the man able to claim to have made the most change in his own community. He found himself in a situation where someone was desperate and asked for a loan. Arlo, trusting in human nature and being kind to others gave the loan which was then paid back in full. This gave him the idea to revolutionize the entire banking industry in his area. Banks in America, for those who do not know, have had a long, long history of treating black Americans worse than white Americans. Washington founded a non-profit community bank which will give loans to people in desperate situations or to those who want to open a business but can’t get a loan from the regular banking system. And guess what? Almost all of the loans he gives out are paid back. It turns out that when you help people in need, they not only appreciate it, they meet their obligations. It is absolutely clear in the film that he is literally changing lives in real time and making incredible community change.

Island In Between

Island in Between is a fascinating look at the island Kinmen, which is a democratic Taiwanese island that is so close to mainland China they can see it across the water. The story of the island is told by S. Leo Chiang who has lived in Taiwan, China and the United States and gives a great narration of the Cross-Strait relations, also interweaving tales from his childhood and growing up in the three places. We even see in the documentary some of the weaponry that is necessary on Kinmen, should China decide to attack. But Chiang balances this with his experiences of meeting people in China and finding them to be just as interesting, exuberant and joyful as those in Kinmen. The film is a unique look at a unique place from a unique perspective.

The Last Repair Shop

Just as there are not enough books in schools in America, there are not enough musical instruments for children to play in the public school system. Often times, people can’t afford an instrument very easily and those instruments sometimes break. In Los Angeles there is a warehouse where only four or five people work and they keep more than 80,000 instruments in good repair. The documentary tells the story of some of the kids who play the instruments and interweaves that with the stories of the few people who work at the repair shop. It’s clear both the kids and the repair workers are absolutely devoted to music and this is a meaningful thing in their lives. They all come to it in different ways and all have compelling stories to tell. It’s a fascinating look at a niche subject which affects far more people than you would expect. And, of course, the music in it is brilliant.

NǍI NAI & WÀI PÓ

If you need a life affirming film that will lift you up and make you smile, this is the one. This is about Sean Wang’s paternal and maternal grandmothers who are the best of friends and live with one another in their later years. The film shows joyous depictions of the two of them living their lives, depending on one another, and in general, being silly, fun, and entertaining human beings. They both have a zest for life but each one has a slightly different perspective on hardships and aging. It’s a slice of life film that will stand the test of time because the exuberance of these two cannot be contained. It’s a reminder that we are all human and here on this earth together.

In Conclusion

Again, it is so hard to simply choose one film as the “best” here. If I was to pick based on production value, The Last Repair Shop wins hands down. If I was to pick based on the most meaningful content, I would have to go with The Barber of Little Rock. If I was to pick based on the most relevant issue today, I would choose The ABC’s of Book Banning. If I was to pick based on the most unique story I would pick Island in Between. And if I was to choose the one that leaves you with the best feeling in the end, I would choose NǍI NAI & WÀI PÓ.

But, here is what I think could happen in this category. While they are all worthy, I believe the ones with the best chances here are The Last Repair Shop, The Barber of Little Rock and NǍI NAI & WÀI PÓ. My preference to win is The Last Repair Shop because I think it is bringing the most meaningful impact to a large but relatively unknown problem. But I also think NǍI NAI & WÀI PÓ has the most momentum. I am predicting NǍI NAI & WÀI PÓ as the winner. As always, don’t take my guess as a better measure because I don’t have the best track record here.

Yet, whoever wins in this category, I can say with absolute certainty that they are deserving of the award.

Praisingly yours,

Slick Dungeon