Unofficial Academy Awards Discussion Board

In case anyone is struggling to see Writing with Fire:

https://www.eventbrite.com/x/kixe-pbs-v ... m=digitalx

Writing with Fire (Rintu Thomas/Sushmit Ghosh) - This documentary follows the journalists and reporters who run the newspaper Khabar Lahariya, the only newspaper in India run entirely by Dalit (low-caste) women as they make the transition into digital to widen their reach. Being from another country where journalism is also constantly under attack, I found watching this film quite refreshing, thought-provoking and inspiring. You really root for these women to succeed in a world that is largely hostile to them. It may not break new ground when it comes to documentary filmmaking, it does manage to open your eyes on the situation in a different country and culture. I can see how this got nominated in the Best Documentary Oscar category. (B+)

Summer of Soul (...or When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson) - In 1969, the same summer as Woodstock, the Harlem Cultural Festival, an assemblage of a who's who of African-American musical acts happened. But despite it being filmed, the footage was never released...until now. The footage is interspersed with interviews from artists who participated and people who were there, bringing you a full picture of the historical context and the importance of this event. Apart from being informative, this film features some superb concert footage and performances from Stevie Wonder to Gladys Knight and the Pips, Nina Simone, etc. That alone makes this documentary worth seeing. It is a beautiful celebration of African-American culture and at the same time a reminder that some of the issues tackled by the musicians, artists and speakers in this event is still relevant to this day. (A-)

My preferences:
01. "Attica"
02. "Summer of Soul (...or When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)"
03. "Flee"
04. "Writing With Fire"
05. "Ascension"

Simple as Water (Megan Mylan) - This is sort of an "anthology" documentary. It is divided into five segments and documents four Syrian families from varied backgrounds who are each dealing with the aftermath of the Syrian war. Sometimes you need reminding that people who live in war-torn countries are not statistics but actual human beings, no different from you and I. This documentary does just that as it takes us into the lives of very different families with different situations and circumstances but are from the same country. It is at times heartbreaking and even moving. My one minor quibble is that the segments sometimes feel they should go on for a bit longer because you want to know a bit more. But overall, it is an exemplary documentary. (B+)

Can it get in? I think this could make the Top 5 sneakily.

The Rescue (Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi/Jimmy Chin) - Using interviews and dramatic recreations seamlessly edited into actual news footage, this film documents how they rescued the trapped boys in that cave in Thailand. This may be my favorite documentary of the year so far. When this thing happened, I was among those who were following it and watching and reading all the news stories so I knew some of it and I knew how it was going to end. But this film manages to still keep me riveted from start to finish and got me emotional in some parts as well. It even revealed a few details I never knew The only thing that keeps this from being perfect is that I wished they interviewed a few of the boys or their family members to finish this film's emotional arc but as it is, it is a superb documentary and a must see even if you know the story. (A-)

Flee (Jonas Poher Rasmussen) - A gay Afghani man living in Denmark about to marry his boyfriend, shares his story about how he escaped Afghanistan and how he came to be a refugee. I've been hearing about this documentary all year last year. All the raves really made me want to temper my expectations of it. I finally got the chance to see it and it's a really, really fine piece of work. The use of animation to tell this compelling story that goes into all sorts of unexpected and sometimes scary directions is quite effective. You really do get invested in his story. Even though I was not quite as blown away by it as a lot of other people seemed to have been, I have to admit. But it's still an excellent film which really must be seen. (B+)

So, I watched the two Oscar-shortlisted COVID docs so you don't have to. Here are my reviews:

In the Same Breath (Nanfu Wang) - This is one of two Oscar-shortlisted documentaries that focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic. This one chronicles the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in China and that government's handling of it, as well as how the United States handled it when the pandemic reached its shores. The way this documentary juxtaposes these two countries reaction to the virus and how they handled it is all at once fascinating and frightening. Authoritarians really do think and act alike, I have to say. My one gripe here is that director Nanfu Wang crams so much in less than 100 minutes, she only touches upon some interesting topics that could be a 90 minute documentary on its own. But all in all, it's a solid effort. (B+)

The First Wave (Matthew Heinemann) - This is one of two Oscar-shortlisted documentaries that focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic. This one focuses on one hospital in New York City during the first wave of the pandemic where we see both the health care workers and a couple of the patients. This documentary can be quite upsetting because it is quite unflinching in how it shows a person suffering and sometimes dying of COVID. It will definitely break your heart and make you angry. But it can also be quite moving and emotional. Yes, it's about COVID-19 but it somehow ends on a hopeful but realistic note. This is one of my favorite documentaries so far this year. (A-)

Can they get in? A lot of people may understandably be actively avoiding watching COVID-related docs which would hamper both these films' chances at making it in the Top 5. However, if one gets in, I think The First Wave is a bit more likely because it is more emotional and hopeful.

Ascension (Jessica Kingdon) - This is a documentary which takes a good, close look at what is being called the "Chinese dream" (as opposed to the "American dream") through the lives of the ordinary factory workers and employees in China's burgeoning economy. We often take the label "made in China" for granted. This film takes a good, hard look at what that means as we see the actual lives of the actual people. The film is eye-opening and doesn't pass judgement on its subject matter but allows viewers to reach to their own conclusions. The filmmaker does it through some visuals and montages that are reminiscent of the Qatsi trilogy or The Man With the Camera. (B+)

Can it get in? I say this is 50/50. The artsy, hands-off approach might be alienating to some.

Attica (Stanley J. Nelson) - In 1971, prisoners in the Attica Correctional Facility rose up in revolt demanding better treatment and conditions which would lead to tragedy. This documentary tells the story straight from the survivors and their families' mouths alongside news and archival footage. Watching this, one can't help but be mad and frustrated. A lot of the things being tackled way back in 1971 from racism to prisoner's rights are still problems to this very day. This is one of those films that will make you mad but it's a compelling, human story that will give you a lot to think about and chew on. It's one of the best documentaries of the year. (A-)

Can it get in? Absolutely. It could also be a threat to win but it seems like "happy" documentaries seem to win more often these days.

It'll be interesting how the Covid documentaries play. I think In the Same Breath is the better film, but The First Wave is a more emotional experience and could play to viewers a little more.

I have a hunch neither will be nominated.

In the Same Breath's chances are going to depend on how voters feel about Covid documentaries as a general concept. It covers the early days of the pandemic, first in China (the director is from China but lives in America and was in China when lockdowns first began in China) and then in the US, mainly focusing on the government's/medical establishment's response. There's no denying it's very well-made, but unlike Nanfu Wang's One Child Nation (which deserved a nomination a couple of years ago), it's not something that most viewers are going to be emotionally effected by but also able to maintain some distance from. We've been living with Covid for two years now, and everyone has had different experiences with it and some are just not going to be able to sit through a documentary like this, and I understand that. Not wanting to watch this is very different from someone not wanting to watch Power of the Dog or The Harder They Fall (I need to watch that one by the way) because they "don't like westerns" or something. There's a lot of real trauma associated with Covid, and it's still raw, and it's still playing out, and some people aren't in a place yet to consume media that deals with it, and some may not ever be. Documentaries dealing with current events have gotten several nominations in the past years, but I do worry that a lot of voters will struggle with this one on subject matter alone. It would be fully deserving of a nomination but I would rate it as a 50-50 shot.

Writing With Fire is listed as premiering on PBS in the US the week after the Oscars. If it gets nominated, I suspect they'll premiere it earlier.

Procession (Robert Greene) - This is a documentary that follows six men who were victims of child sexual abuse on the hands of Catholic priests who try to come to terms with their trauma by making short films about it. There have been so many films made about the Catholic sexual abuse scandals both narrative and documentary form. This one manages to find a new angle in which to approach it. As such, it is still quite an upsetting film, triggering for some and it disturb and anger a lot of people in different ways. The film does feel a bit repetitive and too long in parts but the film also manages to be emotional and even moving. Despite the subject matter, it’s not a complete downer. This film is heavy but it’s worth checking out on Netflix. (B+)

Can it get in? Yes. But the short film conceit could hold it back just like it did Dick Johnson Is Dead. Not a lock.

Faya Dayi (Jessica Beshir) The film documents the practice of chewing khat among the Ethiopian Sufi Muslims, following one family in particular. This film is mystical, poetic, hypnotic and almost dream-like, which are unusual adjectives to describe a documentary. Sometimes, it honestly doesn't feel like one. There are shots here that are simply jaw-dropping. Director Jessica Beshir's use of the black and white cinematography may be one of the best of the year, with all these films using black and white cinematography. This is Beshir's first feature-length documentary and already with this film she proves herself an exciting new voice in the genre. This is my favorite documentary of the year so far. (A-)

Can it get in? Its slow pace and unconventional structure might be a challenge but it's possible.

Attica is also available through Showtime if you have access to that.

I did it for the shorts and the International Feature candidates, why not the documentaries as well?

“Ascension” - Paramount Plus
“Attica” - Vudu
“Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry” - AppleTV+
“Faya Dayi” - The Criterion Channel
“The First Wave” - Hulu
“Flee”
“In the Same Breath” - HBO Max
“Julia” - YouTube (US only for rent)
“President”
“Procession” - Netflix
“The Rescue” - Disney+
“Simple as Water” -HBO Max
“Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” - Hulu
“The Velvet Underground” - AppleTV+
“Writing with Fire”