ReelBob: “2020 Academy Award documentary short subject nominees

By Bob Bloom

The five 2020 Academy Award nominees for documentary short subject range from the inspirational to the heartbreaking and from the courageous to the romantic, covering such topics as the power of dance, the potency of political activism, the abuses of government and the freedom and joy of skateboarding.

The most intriguing of the quintet is “Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (if You’re a Girl)” (5 stars), which focuses on a school in Kabul, Afghanistan, that teaches girls not only how to read and write, but how to skateboard.

The women teachers and girls face danger — from random bombings in Kabul, from religious fundamentalists who oppose educating girls and even from the strict precepts of family members.

Yet, they persevere, getting an education so they can better their lives and enjoy being taught how to skateboard simply for fun.

“St. Louis Superman” (4 1/2 stars) tells the story of activist Bruce Franks, a young black man elected as St. Louis state representative, who also is a battle rapper.

Franks introduces a bill declaring youth violence a health epidemic. Franks and his mother are victims of gun violence. Franks’ older brother was killed at age 9 when one of two men involved in a gunfight grabbed the boy to use him as a human shield.

Also, the number of shooting deaths in his poor and mostly black St. Louis neighborhood impacts him emotionally.

The documentary follows Franks as he lobbies fellow representatives, takes part in anti-gun violence marches and, yes, raps.

The 28-minute short ends on an inspirational note with the legislature passing Franks’ bill.

“In the Absence” (4 stars) follows the sinking of a Korean ferry in 2014 in which hundreds of students lost their lives, the aftermath and the parents’ and public’s demands for the truth.

This 28-minute documentary will anger you as — via recordings and eyewitness accounts — you witness the slow response by the South Korean government in responding to the tragedy and then its attempts to cover up its ineptitude that was responsible for the huge death toll.

The botched rescue efforts and the whitewash by officials eventually led to the impeachment and ouster of the nation’s president.

A nice change of pace is “Walk Run Cha Cha” (3 1/2 stars), a love story about a late middle-aged Vietnamese couple who were able to begin new and successful lives in California. After the communists took over his nation, Paul Cao fled to the United States in 1979. Five years later, he was able to get his girlfriend, Millie, out of the country.

They eventually married, raised a family and have fulfilling careers. The movie focuses on their new passion — competitive dance, which reinforces their commitment and have brought them closer together.

The final nominee is a disheartening examination of the global refugee crisis and its impact on children.

“Life Overtakes Me” (5 stars) looks at a growing phenomenon found mostly in Sweden — Resignation Syndrome — a disease that strikes young children, most of whom are from refugee families who have applied for asylum.

The movie focuses on three children — Daria, 7; Karen, 12; and Layla 10.

The disease’s symptoms are devastating. The affected children withdraw into a comatose state that could last for months or years.

There is no cure. The syndrome is caused by trauma or stress and is seen as an escape mechanism for a child.

Parents are advised to talk to their afflicted children and reassure them, bathe and feed them, exercise their muscles to keep them toned and take them outside for fresh air.

These families all have escaped their native lands — mostly Eastern European and former Soviet Union satellite countries — because they were threatened with death, beaten, tortured, raped or murdered.

Of the three children who are the focus of the movie, only Daria, after more than a year in her comatose state, recovers.

As the film ends, the fate of Karen and Layla remain undetermined.

Doctors and psychologists interviewed in the movie blame the broken immigration systems of many nations — including Sweden — for abetting the syndrome through the bureaucracy that creates uncertainty for these children, who fear being deported back to the homelands.

Most of these movies can be found online at various websites such as Vimeo. They should be seen as they will expand your appreciation of people from various walks of life and the challenges they face.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My reviews appear at ReelBob (reelbob.com) and Rottentomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com). I also review Blu-rays and DVDs. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Links to my reviews can be found on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.