By Aasta from Show Me Shorts
I had some extra July time available so I offered myself up to the Show Me Shorts team to write the August Screening Room.
I flippantly said: “Hey, I could write about Sci-Fi, Horror, or Political short films.” and everybody went: “Yeah! Political films! That would be so cool!”
Ten minutes after that, I went: “Whaaa’… I totally thought you guys would go for Sci-Fi… Are there even any Political short films? And is it even cool to write about them?”
The correct answer is: Yes. There are lots of politically themed short films, and yes, it is cool to write about them.
So I picked three to show you here; the first features famous actors, the second is an animation set in London, and the third got an Oscar™ for best live action short. Sound good so far?
Drunk History: Lincoln and Frederick Douglass
Jeremy Konner
Jeremy Konner has made quite a few Drunk History films, so if you haven’t seen them before: you’re welcome. It is my pleasure to spread mirth.
In this short we learn about the unusual relationship between the white American president, Abraham Lincoln, of the newly formed Republican Party (I know. They’ve changed.), and black abolitionist and famed orator, Frederick Douglass. After watching this, I expect you’ll know a little bit more about some political history surrounding the American civil war, but seeing that the info is drunk, and conveyed by people like Will Ferrell and Don Cheadle, it won’t be much. Or be all that reliable.
Robots of Brixton
Kibwe Tavares
South East London is where you find the best stuff. The hidden treasures, metropolitan life, Wembley, and the jewel of Lambeth: Brixton. This is where you find Electric Avenue, the Ritzy Picturehouse and the Brixton Academy. Nowadays there are also pop-up restaurants near the farmers markets for the upward mobile hipsters next to the regeneration of the African Caribbean stronghold.
In 1981, things were different. Brixton was a much, much poorer place, and for people on the outside, the only noticeable landmark was the Brixton prison. Less visible was the joblessness for the locals and the state of their housing. The crime rate was very high, and the relationship between the locals and the police was strained.
Then one Friday, a constable sees a young boy running away from other youths. When he is stopped, he is found to be bleeding from a stab would. The boy breaks free and keeps running, but is stopped again shortly after. A crowd gathers and when they see that the boy is not getting proper care for his bleeding wound, they turn on the police. Over the next 36 hours, 299 police and 65 civilians were injured, 28 houses were set afire and burned, and 2500 police people were dispatched to control the approximately 5000 rioters.
This short uses animation and real photos from ’81 to tell a story about police invading the one place that robots have as their own, and the violence that erupts from this action.
It is also noteworthy that this film was awarded a Special Jury recognition for directing at the 2012 Sundance Festival and Kibwe Tavares made it as a part of his architectural coursework at the University College in London.
West Bank Story
Ari Sandel
There aren’t all that many comedies coming out about the Israel/Palestine conflict. Strange that. But West Bank Story is one big song and dance about two star-crossed lovers whose problem is not only that he is an Israeli solider and she is Palestinian, but that their families are rivals in the very competitive fast food falafel market.
West Bank Story is a take on West Side Story, the ’60s’ song and dance Technicolor dream. If you haven’t seen the original, you’ll still recognise the songs, and the storyline that is taken from Romeo and Juliet. If you don’t know that story, I don’t really want to know.
The director Ari Sandel was awarded the 2009 Oscar for live action short for this film, so hopefully you, like the Academy™, will enjoy this one.
So you should feel really political by now. You’ll probably fancy finding a barricade to climb, a sign to write for a protest you want to march in, and you can’t wait for the next Election Day to come around so that you can cast your vote for the changes that you want made, or not made. And I say, go for it! Make or don’t make those changes happen. Because not only is it cool, but also necessary and awesome, to be a part of the change/not change that shapes our societies. Just go for it.
