ANIMATION
According to the online bookmakers, the odds-on favorite to win this year’s Oscar for best animated short film is Alan Barillaro’s Piper (6 min.), an adorable frolic in which a baby sandpiper discovers the ocean as a source of food and fun. Created by Pixar, this pixel-perfect short was distributed last summer as an opening attraction for the studio’s monster hit Finding Dory, which grossed more than a billion dollars worldwide; that means Piper was seen by more than four times as many people as have seen La La Land, the top-grossing nominee for best picture. I’d hate to be one of the other animators sitting hopelessly in the Dolby Theatre on Oscar night—especially since most of them have better films in competition than Barillaro’s innocent piece of fluff.
But the strongest entry this year is Orlando von Einsiedel’s British short The White Helmets (40 min., program B), about the 3,000 volunteers of the Syria Civil Defense who serve as neutral, noncombatant first responders to victims inside rebel-controlled areas. Relentlessly attacked by Bashar al-Assad’s regime, its Russian allies, and ISIS, these civilians are the primary targets of high-explosive barrel bombs that rain down on homes, hospitals, and wedding halls. With no tracking devices, the White Helmets watch from rooftops for approaching aircraft and then follow the smoke clouds to find the living and bury the dead. Eventually the Helmets themselves are targeted in “double-tap” air strikes, in which planes bomb a site and then resume their pounding when the responders have arrived.
Animation Landmark’s Century Centre 2828 N. Clark 773-509-4949landmarktheatres.com $12.50
Documentary Program A, Sat 2/11 and Sun 2/19, 11:30 AM Program B, Sun 2/12 and Sat 2/18, 11:30 AM Music Box 3733 N. Southport 773-871-6604musicboxtheatre.com$11 per program
Live Action Landmark’s Century Centre 2828 N. Clark 773-509-4949landmarktheatres.com $12.50
