The cast of the new PBS “All Creatures Great and Small” includes Rachel Shenton whose bio says she is an Academy Award winner. Her name is not familiar and further examination reveals she won her Oscar for a live action short called “The Silent Child”. Taking a look at that movie led to a search for other Oscar nominated shorts of the last twenty years available over the Internet. This is the list of the eighteen that were found. All are on Amazon Prime except the five viewed on You Tube as indicated below. The movie titles do not link to IMBD pages due to laziness.
The Accountant – 2001 (3.0). This live action short Oscar winner is a dark comedy about an unethical financial adviser who counsels Arkansas farmers how to save the family farm from Yankee conglomerates. Fourteen years before Trump started his Presidential run, this movie showed us part of his base.
The Silent Child – 2017 (3.0). This live action short Oscar winner from the UK shows a young deaf girl in a very busy family living in a fine home in the countryside. They have hired a special teacher who quickly opens the girl up to communicating through sign language. Of course the family is too busy to take the time to learn that method of communication. This movie is an effective PSA for the use of sign language and it is also engaging on the personal emotional level. [You Tube].
Aya – 2015 (2.9). This live action short Oscar nominee stars an appealing Sarah Adler who takes a fling into serendipity after temporarily holding the sign at an airport in Israel for a driver who steps away briefly. While he is gone the passenger shows up and presumes the woman is his driver. Most of the movie takes place in the car as she drives the Danish man who has come to judge a music contest.
Helium -2013 (2.8). This live action short Oscar winner from Denmark provides a fantasy escape for a young boy dying in a hospital. The fantasy is presented to the boy by a well-meaning orderly. It is not exactly clear what message this movie is trying to convey.
The Neighbor's Window – 2019 (2.8). This live action short Oscar winner follows a young couple living in a city apartment with two toddlers and a newborn. Across the street in another building they notice a couple engaging in torrid sex. Each of the parents becomes a bit of a voyeur, but the scene across the street takes a dark turn and the movie ends with a twist.
Parvaneh – 2012 (2.8). This live action short Oscar nominee follows a young Afghan woman living in a Swiss refugee shelter. She needs help wiring money to her parents and ends up trusting a Swiss teen party girl who first tries to charge a commission but then becomes her friend.
Watu Wote (All of Us) – 2017 (2.8). This live action short Oscar nominee from Africa portrays an incident in which Muslim terrorists intercept a bus carrying a mix of Christian and Muslim passengers and then try to separate them so the Christians can be menaced.
Ave Maria – 2015 (2.7). This live action short Oscar nominee in fifteen minutes covers an incident where a lost Israeli couple with one annoying mother wreck their car in front of a small cloistered nunnery and seek help.
Detainment – 2018 (2.7). This live action short Oscar nominee from Ireland is about interviews of two ten year old boys conducted by police in an actual case involving the death of a younger boy. The acting is good and the story intense but overall it just misses.
God of Love – 2011 (2.7). This live action short Oscar winner about a goofy looking lovelorn lounge singer who is given some magic darts comes across as a one note opus.
Le Femme et le TGV – 2017 (2.7). This live action short Oscar nominee features an older Frenchwoman who lives in her small home right next to the tracks where an express train flies by daily. She is in the habit of waving to the train which prompts the train driver to write to her which leads to her romantic hopes rising.
Skin – 2019 (2.7). This live action short Oscar winner delivers vengeful satisfaction to people disgusted by neo-nazis.
Tanghi Argentini – 2006 (2.7). This live action short Oscar nominee is a light tale of a middle aged man looking for romance online and claiming to be a torrid tango dancer.
Two Soldiers – 2003 (2.7). This live action short Oscar winner is based on a Faulkner short story about an eight year old rural Mississippi boy who takes off after his older brother who goes to Memphis to enlist in the Army after Pearl Harbor. The proximity of the 9/11 attacks probably played a role in this movie winning the Oscar. [You Tube].
Death of a Shadow – 2006 (2.6). This live action short Oscar nominee is a fantasy sci-fi story about a man with a special camera for capturing shadow images of death for a macabre collector. The sets and production values are high for such a short movie.
Wasp – 2003 (2.6). This live action short Oscar winner tells of a young mother of four little kids who lives in public housing in the UK and is flat broke. Her kids are always with her and seem bonded, but then she runs into an old boyfriend and meets him in a bar, leaving the kids in the parking lot for hours, having lied to the man about them not being her kids and that they would be with someone ele during their date. This movie could be a PSA for children protective services. [You Tube].
West Bank Story – 2005 (2.6). This live action short Oscar winner is a brief take off on West Side Story about neighboring fast food restaurants on the Israeli Palestine border and the love between an Israeli soldier and Palestinian girl. At first it seems like it could be a funny parody but then it descends into weakly funny stereotypes and concocts a quick happy capitalist ending. [You Tube].
Six Shooter – 2004 (2.5). This live action short Oscar winner from Ireland is supposed to be a black comedy, but is more annoying than humorous. Nihilism? [You Tube].
