2025 Oscar-Nominated Shorts - Documentary

Tropic Sprockets by Ian Brockway

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In keeping with tradition, this category once again contains a somber group of films. On the plus side, they are all fine and detailed studies of the human condition. Each film travels the world revealing great existential struggle but also a great resilience of the spirit.

First, from Japan, “Instruments of A Beating Heart” by Ema Ryan Yamazaki illustrates a first-grade class as they prepare a welcome song for new students. The shy but introspective Amaya has hopes to be a master of the cymbals, but her teacher is extremely strict and harsh.

Amaya tries and tries to learn Beethoven and each time the teacher reprimands the youngster without easing. Difficult it is to see Amaya cry. She cries so much her shirt becomes wet and this won’t fail to pull at your heart. Still Amaya persists.

The most startling ingredient in this film is its capturing of young life governed by routine. The youngsters wear white suits and masks. They look at their iPads to learn musical rhythm and they get about 15 minutes for lunch.

Yet spontaneity or joy will not be squelched.

“Incident” by Bill Morrison is an unflinching account of the shooting of Harith Agustus by the police that will have you shaking your head in horror. In 2018, Chicago police were on sidewalk patrol. A young man getting off a shift at a barbershop passes the officers who noticed that he has a pistol under his shirt. The police without a word made a move toward him to arrest him. The young man understandably startled, tried to run at which point, a police officer fired at the young man nine times, killing him in the street. The shooting officer who was in his first year, critically escalated the situation without thinking, a learned racial instinct overwhelming him.

The officer who first made a move to arrest the man, was a female. Immediately she takes the gun from the dead man’s pants. It was never drawn or pointed at anyone.

This film, incredibly sad and horrifying is no less masterful. It is unbelievable to hear the female officer stick up for the shooting officer saying that he “absolutely had no choice and drew his gun.” She further states that “she thought she was going to die.” Yet it is recorded on the body cam for all to see and hear. This film is not for the faint.

No less stern or heartrending is “I’m Ready, Warden” chronicling the death-row journey of John Henry Ramirez who was put to death in 2022 in Texas. Ramirez was born in an environment of horrible physical abuse, including scarring beating and bruising. Ramirez enlisted in the US Army and became a credit to his unit on several deployments. He became a father only to fall back into hard drugs and depression. Ramirez fatally stabbed Pablo Castro, multiple upon multiple times during a robbery.

On death row, Ramirez is remorseful and tries to reach out. His religious mentor and his lawyer work to commute and cancel the sentence. They fail.
What stands out is Ramirez’s sincerity. In Smriti Mundhra’s film, the immutable finality of the death penalty is objective and cold with no emotional resolution.

Next, in grateful relief, is “The Only Girl in the Orchestra” by Molly O’ Brien. This film is a study of bassist Orin O’ Brien. The director is O’Brien‘s niece. Orin’s father was the famous film actor George O’Brien. Her peripatetic childhood left her unhinged, and music gave her stability. The bass became a friend to her. In her career she met Leonard Bernstein, becoming part of his orchestra at the New York Philharmonic. Despite her success, Orin was patronized in the press. She achieved great renown and is a teacher to countless artists. The deep voice of the bass moves through her with verve and joy. This is a fond portrait of a beloved aunt.

Piercingly with a painful and pensive edge is “Murder By Numbers” from director Kim Snyder. This gut-wrenching and haunting film is based on the journals of Sam Fuentes, a survivor of the Parkland shooting. During the trial, the shooter was given life without parole. Eighteen people were shot and killed. Fuentes is obsessed unable to forget and who can blame her, she strives to confront the killer, and she has no choice. Despite her hell, your heart will cheer for her refusal to submit to apathy. No matter the shooter’s response (or lack of it) Fuentes faced him down. The audience, however, is no doubt left with the disquieting realization that survival is a mercurial process with no absolute finality.

However, Fuentes can win by outliving the devil.

Even though this year’s bunch of shorts are almost unrelentingly sober, taken as a whole they emerge as fine windows into the world, inspiring emotion and calls to action.

Write Ian at ianfree11@yahoo.com