The Red Suitcase
Directed by Cyrus Neshvad
Luxembourg
18 Minutes

Many possible conclusions can be derived from the sight of a lonely red suitcase circling around on an airport baggage carousel together with its visibly anxious owner, a hijab-wearing 16-year-old girl, who is extremely hesitant to collect her luggage. Is it perhaps her first time out of Iran and she is afraid of the unknowns that await her? Could it be the contents of her suitcase and therefore what she is bringing into a foreign country? How about who or what might be waiting for her on the other side? Or is it in fact all of the aforementioned or none of them at all!? The Red Suitcase is a thought-provoking, suspenseful, and excellent production set entirely at Luxembourg airport.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc

Ivalu
Directed by Anders Walter, Co-Directed by Pipaluk K. Jørgensen
Denmark
17 Minutes

This very impressive and quite outstanding short film is the complete package. A production that boasts stunning Greenlandic locations and landscapes with camerawork exemplifying the experience of the man behind the lens to capture it all to wondrous effect. A story that is immediately involving, layered and reveals harrowing secrets by its finale. Based on a Danish graphic novel of the same name, Ivalu centres on the younger sister of the titular character as she retrospectively narrates her unyielding search for her missing sister and seeks to uncover the reason for her disappearance. Short in duration, towering in effect.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc

An Irish Goodbye
Written and Directed by Tom Berkeley and Ross White
UK
23 Minutes

Death, it happens to us all, but is rarely discussed. An Irish Goodbye follows two estranged brothers who are brought together by the passing of their mother. Set in Northern Ireland, the cinematography was captivating from the very first moments with still shots of cold, bleak and foggy countryside. The film’s casting was also perfect, with James Martin, a particular stand-out as the ‘very capable of looking after the farm’, Lorcan. This heart-warming film touches on themes of grief, disability, trust, ritual and honouring those who have left us. This gem of a short film will make you laugh, it will make you cry and is frankly quite unmissable. 

Review by Jemma for Moviedoc

Night Ride (Nattrikken)
Written and Directed by Eirik Tveiten
Norway
16 Minutes

“It’s like David against Goliath”, said director Eirik Tveiten when describing the trauma that takes place in Night Ride, a short that was debuted long ago, but has now finally made it into the Oscar’s ® consideration shortlist. How uncomfortable can you become in a 15-minute short? Well, watch Night Ride and find out! While it’s not the most uncomfortable I’ve ever been in my life – I’ve watched The Human Centipede saga in full – it was certainly a test to sit through, as I squirmed and was left helpless, just as director Eirik Tveiten intended. His film dissects the bystander mentality of seeing harassment with your very own eyes, with audiences involuntarily placed in this position as we can’t do anything to help fictional characters on a screen, but it makes you think…. If we were in the moment, would we have done anything anyway? Review by Zak for Moviedoc

Review by Zak Wheeler for Moviedoc

Le Pupille
Directed by Alice Rohrwacher
Italy
39 Minutes

Set upon the backdrop of an unspecified European religious girl’s school, Le Pupille creates intrigue through its subversive, often fourth wall shattering approach to storytelling. This short film, lengthiest of all this year’s Oscar ® contenders, had me interested in where it was taking us as the nuns who rule the school punish their pupils, even if I couldn’t always comprehend their reasons for such disciplinary action. I found myself taking the point-of-view of the students and feeling stressed about what was going to happen next when even innocuous students are indiscriminately subjected to the same treatment as those flagrantly endorsing behaviour, which is more in-style of their developing personalities, at the expense of the school’s conservative values. Though the Christmas and architectural settings are as beautiful as the snowy-scenery, I left Le Pupille’s plot confused and dissatisfied. Again, the exact reasons allude me, though I can say its greater meaning doesn’t manifest itself over its nuances and ambiguity and this is arguably the least impressive of this year’s short film Oscar-nominees.

Review by Zak Wheeler for Moviedoc