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randomrichards · 4 days ago

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2025 ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEES: BEST LIVE ACTION SHORTS

A LIEN

Oscar (William Martinez) and Sofia Gomez (Victoria Ratermanis) arrived at New York Immigration Services to get Oscar a green card. Just as Oscar’s being intereviewed, ICE Agents arrive to raid the New York Immigration Services of undocumented immigrants. While Oscar tries to evade the agents, Sofia races against time to try to keep Oscar and their daughter Nina (Koralyn Rivera) from being deported.

A Lien has a straightforward premise commenting on ICE’s tactic of abducting undocumented immigrants during their green card interviews. Writing/directing duo David and Sam Culter-Kreutz keeps the short tightly structured by maintaining sole focus on this premise. Every second of the 15 minute runtime serves the plot.

What makes this short gripping is how the directors create an unrelenting sense of tension through similar filmmaking techniques used by Uncut Gems and the Bear. Director of photography Andrea Gavazzi always keeps a handheld very close to the characters to see the character’s fear. This proves effective when the ICE Agents are show as blurry around Oscar. Editor Caitlin Carr uses endless quick cuts to build on the sense of stress. David and Sam Culter-Kreutz adds to the tension by audio with overlapping dialogue. These techniques makes you feel the couple’s desperation

There is a couple of moments when the film lays it on a bit too thick and they are in the brief moments when the short cut to a tv showing a Trump speech. These only last less than 5 seconds, but they aren’t needed. David and Sam Culter-Kreutz were already effective getting their point across just by showing a family being torn apart by a cruel system.

ANUJA

Anuja follows a Indian girl (Sadjua Pathan) who works in a sweatshop with her older sister. She is also a math whiz who gets a chance for a better life when a teacher (Gulshan Walia) signs her up for an application exam that will enroll her into a boarding school. Anuja at first refuses to go because it would involve her being away from her sister Palak (Ananya Shanbhag) and they don’t have the money for the admissions. Soon their sleazy boss Mr. Verna (Magesh Bhonsle) offers Anuja a promotion but threatens to fire her and Palak if she doesn’t arrive on the same day as the exam. Now Anuja must choose what her future will be.

Writer/director Adam J. Graves gives us a neorealist depiction of an unhoused child in New Delhi forced to accept child labour even going so far as casting a little girl who was living under these conditions. Anuja was made with support from Salaam Baalak Trust, a nonprofit organization that provides food, shelter and education to unhoused kids like Pathan. Pathan is exceptional in her performance, making Anjula feel like a real person.

Pathan’s performance is complimented by Grave’s fleshed out characters. Anuja is an intelligent little girl whose excellent at math. And yet she looks for excuses not to take the exam. She claims the exam isn’t worth it, but you can tell the real reason is she doesn’t want to leave her sister behind. Her dilemma is understandable. She and her sister are already struggling to make a living. But like a child, she doesn’t consider that education gives her a chance at a better life for not only her but her sister. At the same time, you know that will mean having to leave Palak for a while.

Thankfully, she has a street smart, supportive sister in Palak, who refuses to let Anuja throw her life away. She is the Chuck to Anjula’s Will Hunting. Shanbhag matches Pathan’s performance giving Palak a sense of street smarts and loving support. She and Pathan have excellent chemistry together, making Anjula and Palak feel like real sisters.

The film takes a brief break from realism when Palak describes her scheme to make bags in the factory without getting caught. Graves switches to a stylized approach, panning across a dark blue lit factory before stopping at Palak, who breaks the fourth wall to explain her scheme. Watching Palak game the system has the same joy as a movie heist.

This short loses points by copping out with an ambiguous ending to avoid follow through. The credits shows kids from Salaam Baalak Trust watching the film itself. It’s nice to see them enjoying the film, but it offers little compensation for a lack of an ending.

I’M NOT A ROBOT

A music producer has an identity crisis caused by the CAPTCHA tests in I Am Not A Robot, a satirical sci fi comedy from the Netherlands.

While trying to update an app for work, music producer Lara Vermeulen (Ellen Parren) finds herself in clashing with the “I’m Not A Robot” test. Or as her co-worker says, the CAPTCHA test. The customer service is no help at all, questioning if she’s even human. So begins an identity crisis for Lara. That sums up most of the short. Though you could probably figure out the twist, I can’t go further in fear of giving away the end.

Writer/Director Victoria Warmerdam plays into our frustrations with constantly having to click on street signs or retyping weirdly fonted letters to no avail. It leads to some funny moments including Lara’s clash with customer her or her literally being driven to distraction during an interview. The short later looks into the themes of identity, relationships and in a strange move, the right to die.

In a category full of heartbreaking looks at real life stories, it’s refreshing to see a comedy being nominated. Sure, it’s not offering much new. But it’s still a joy to watch.

THE LAST RANGER

The Last Ranger is a celebration of the heroic rangers dedicated to protecting African wildlife from Poachers.

Khuselwa (Avumile Qongqo) is the last ranger defending the Amakhala Game Reserve of South Africa. She decides to take little girl Litha (Liyabona Mroqoza) with her on a shift. Over the course of a day, Khuselwa and introduces Litha to the beauty this reserve has to offer and the animals that live there. But their tour is halted when they find poachers targeting local Rhinos. Now Khuselwa must risk her life to protect these precious creatures.

The Last Ranger was created as part of When The World Stopped, an anthology film about the Covid Pandemic’s effects on people around the world. The pandemic prevents tourism in the area, which both hurts the reserve’s financial struggles due to lack of tourism and puts Litha’s dad out of a job. Given that none of the characters wear mask when their together, it feels pointless to make this a part of the short.

At the short’s centre is the dangers rangers like Khuselwa face and what motivates them to keep protecting animals. With Litha serving as the audience surrogate, Khuselwa conveys her passion for protecting these animals and how she sees them as her family. In particular, she shares a parasocial connection with one rhino named Thandi.

The first half of the short takes its time to let us get to know both Khuselwa and Litha. Then it kicks into high gear when the poachers show up. Suddenly, it becomes a suspenseful yet grounded action sequence as you hope Khuselwa will take down the bad guys and save the rhinos. It all leads to a very heartbreaking revelation.

The Last Ranger deserves credit for its cinematography. James Adey showcases Africa’s beautiful nature with a montage of drone shots. The most notable is an image of Khuselwa and Litha standing atop a hill during the golden hours. You see exactly what rangers like Khuselwa risk their lives for.

Rangers like Khuselwa put their lives in danger, with thousands killed by poachers. The Last Ranger celebrates their heroic efforts and hopefully it will encourage more people to become Rangers.

THE MAN WHO COULD NOT REMAIN SILENT

In February 27, 1993, a passenger train heading to Bar, Bosnia was stopped by the Beli Orlovi paramilitary group. 24 innocent Bosniak Muslims were dragged out from the train. Of the 500 passengers, only Croatian veteran Tomo Buzov dared to stand up to the army. He would end up being murdered alongside the Bosnians. Writer/Director Nebojsa Slijiepcevic takes us through that horrific event with The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent.

Slijiepcevic plays the event in real time through the perspective of Dragan (Goran Bogdan). Director of photography Gregor Bozic keeps the camera close to Dragan, following him as he witnesses innocent civilians being dragged by the army as passengers beg for their friends to be spared.

It’s at this moment that fellow passenger Milan (Silvio Mumelas) reveals to Dragan that he has no documents. Dragan claims “We won’t let anyone touch you”, but when a soldier demands to know their family’s patron saint, he is quick to fold. When the soldier threatens to take Milan, Tomo (Dragan Micanovic) stands up to the soldier demanding to know what gives him a right to cart people. Tomo is sent to an unknown fate, but his action allows Milan to be spared.

It would have been easy for Slijiepcevic to write the film from Tomo’s point of view, telling the heroic story of a man who sacrificed his life to save an innocent. Setting the film from Dragan’s point of view presents a more complex perspective, asking the audience what they would do if they were in the same circumstances. It’s easy to condemn bystanders for their complicity in atrocity. But it’s easy to judge when you’re not facing someone with a gun. Unfortunately, some people delude themselves into thinking they would go out guns a blazing. In reality, you don’t know what you would do until you’ve been in the same circumstances, especially if you know about the bystander effect. Slijiepcevic never offers any easy answers, closing on a closeup on Dragan traumatized face.

Who Will Win?

The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent is the frontrunner. This category was full of dramas either based on or inspired by real life tragedies and this one is the best executed.

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