The presumptive favorite in the best animated short category was Disney’s “Once Upon a Studio,” a celebration of that company’s 100th anniversary. However, on Oscar morning, it was missing from the nomination list. Though I enjoy “Once Upon a Studio” for what it is, it really didn’t need a presence at the Oscars. Instead, five more purely animated films were nominated.
Conceptually, the most interesting of the nominees this year, from my perspective, is definitely “War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko.” The title references John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s 1971 Christmas hit “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).” Set in an alternate World War I, the film is difficult for me to grasp on a narrative level without having seen it myself. But the writing credit for Sean Lennon, John and Yoko’s son, intrigues me.
The short film “Letter to a Pig” might sound like a fun time, but it’s actually a heavy story about generational trauma that features an unsettling, hand-drawn animation style. One of the most praised short films of the year, “Letter to a Pig” has made an impact in its country of origin, Israel. As the conflict with Hamas rages on, the Israeli people may be gravitating towards stories like this.
“Pachyderme” is a French film that further emphasizes that animation is not just for children, even if the central character of the film is a child. Diving deep into the actual story of the short at this moment would probably give too much away, but the central premise of a trip to visit grandparents might trick you into believing that it’s a warmhearted, nostalgic tale. By all accounts, it is not.
On a bit of a lighter note, the husband-and-wife duo of Jared and Jerusha Hess, best known for writing “Napoleon Dynamite,” are Academy Award nominees thanks to the creation of their nominated short film “Ninety-Five Senses.” These two have been in the business for a while now and it’s great to see their creativity rewarded. I like that they’ve broken through in the animated category, and for an ambitious project that uses a number of different art styles to better represent the body’s senses.
“Our Uniform” is one of the more interesting nominees to me in any Oscar category. According to the film’s director, Yegane Moghaddam, there have been very different reactions to the film since it was first shown. Iranian women, of which Moghaddam is one, have generally found it to be a sad reflection while many non-Iranian audiences think it’s a comedy. I’m not sure whether these reactions are based on cultural differences or something else, but I can appreciate a film that casts a wide net of responses.
For the second year in a row, the Oscars were largely uninterested in the Disney animation machine, and we ended up with some inspired choices that continue to push the medium forward. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Disney and Pixar’s shorts. However, denying a monopoly while encouraging more creative works rooted in a larger number of cultures and experiences is a win.
