Despite not making out to the physical festival, I have access to a scrumptiously large number of short films this year from every genre. I’m excited to get back to my niche in The Sunbreak universe and share with you some of the best from this year’s SXSW Film & TV Festival. So lets get on with it!
Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó (Grandma & Grandma)
(2023 | USA | 17 minutes | Sean Wang)
An unlikely and beautiful friendship forms between two women, mothers, whose children found love in each others arms. Mothers-in-law to start, but best friends as they aged, this charming short is an intimate look at how the love and bonds of family can keep you young. Full of dancing, laughter, silliness and mortality, Grandma & Grandma does it all in 17 minutes. Very impressive by such a young director.
Beyond the Fringe (2023 | Spain | 5 minutes | Han Tang)
This surprisingly brief animated short affected me simply because of how tactile it was. I spend a lot of time reading and the feel of paper is very visceral, like it is for most folks; paper is especially important during the most formative moments of our lives: birth certificates, marriage licenses, final exams (well… most of the time), mortgages, death certificates… Ripping, tearing, pulling yourself free, it felt very genuine and relatable. With nary a word said, an emotional bond was created between the viewer and the character, and that’s hard to do in a feature length much less a very short film.
Spring Roll Dream
(2023 | USA | 10 minutes | Mai Vu)
A beautiful animated short that portrays the complexity of family. Three generations of an immigrant family: grandfather (visiting from Vietnam), mother, and son are spending time together at home one day. While mother is just trying to get by, not rock the boat and keep her son happy, grandfather wants to pass on traditions, be authentic and connect his family with their shared history. That history, between father and daughter, is tough one, but she realizes that he just wants to love her and her son as best as he can. It’s time to set aside past hurt and make room for a new relationship not only for her son, but for herself too.