I find creating a complete and beautiful short film (whether it’s 4 minutes or 14), is a more difficult task than a well-crafted feature. With such little time you have to fit a fully fleshed-out concept from beginning to end that leaves the viewer satisfied. In many ways a short film director has the ability to get stuck in your brain for days or weeks after, because they have to hit you like a freight train with the story line or it just falls flat. It more often feels like a poem in motion rather than a story. I had the great pleasure of experiencing several beautiful poems at this year’s SIFF so I’m going to tell you about a few (in no particular order).

Urban Sphinx (2020 | Spain | 5 mins | María Lorenzo Hernández)
A wave of images hits you as still after still of graffitied walls ebbs and flows throughout Valencia, Spain meant to evoke a different story depending on the moment you see it, where you see it, and who you are when you see it. The director created a collage of hidden gems, mostly wheatpasted multi-eyed faces staring back at us. The edits were superb, sparking laughs one moment and near tears the next.

Scars (2020 | Quebec, CA | 10 mins | Alex Anna)
An animated short that gets right to the heart of pain and finding the strength to love yourself. Cutting can feel powerful when in every other moment you feel powerless, but in the end its just another quick fix that won’t really fix anything. This beautiful self-portrait takes you on her journey from youth to scarred adult.

We Have One Heart (2020 | Poland | 12 min | Katarzyna Warzecha)
A story told through the eyes of a child and letters between two lovers. A man is separated from his family in Poland having to return to his home country of Iraq to extend is visa. He died while waiting for his country to grant this request, at least that’s what his son had been told… A look into the complications of life and love; family can become the strongest bond in your life, even if you’ve never met them.

Charon (2020 | USA | 12 mins | Myron Dyal)
This one was strange from the get go. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was learning, a man describing a “helper” that no one else can see. A being that saved his life more than once and has shown him how to survive when no one else was there. The story itself is somewhat intriguing, but the mixing of animation and live film was exquisite; if there were an award for short editing, this one should be at the top of the list.

Migrants (2020 | Spain | 5 mins | María Lorenzo Hernández)
A sweet and heart-rending stop-animation short that seemed to simply be about a polar bear and its cub, but soon became an obvious metaphor for how poorly we treat immigrants, especially in this country. Unsolicited disdain and little-to-no compassion. Laid out with an adorable crocheted cast, the striking way in which the protagonists are treated by others cuts even deeper.

Family Picture Show Package (various directors)
While none of the films in this bundle stood out from the others, all of them were delightful in their own way. From Sci-Fi and fantasy to stories of adoption and first loves, each were a quick respite from the frustrations of the real world.

Tearless (2019 | USA | 4 mins | Lauren Kim)
I’m a sucker for historical knowledge offered in interesting ways (Drunk History anyone?) and this was a two-fer. Not only was this a history lesson on tears, but also one about letting go. Allowing yourself to emote when the feelings erupt, because if we hold them in they release in unhappy and unhealthy ways. A fantastic offering by a young director.

Ambivalent (2019 | USA | 7 mins | Kayla Li, Erin Logan, DJ Charles)
No words were spoken, and on the surface this short was a simple one. A young woman looking for acceptance and figure out who she is. Feeling lost and rejected, she discovers what really ignites her passions. It’s a well-done animation and live-action cross over that stuck with me.