OSCAR DOCS - 4
The Children Of Leningradsky by Celinski & Polak ('05) (Pol) (35m)
Andrzej Celinski and Hanna Polak, the filmmakers behind this short explore the harsh reality of life after the fall of the Iron Curtain by focusing on a group of homeless children living hand-to-mouth in a Moscow train station. They spend nights trying to stay warm against hot water pipes and most of their days are spent begging. After being nominated for an Oscar for The Children of Leningradsky in 2005, Celinski and Polak have not worked together since.
Thoth by Sarah Kernochan (2005) (USA) (40m)
Sarah Kernochan had already won an Oscar for her 1972 feature length documentary, Marjoe, which looked at the risng trend for money-making evangelism in America at the time. But she may be more famous for writing the screenplay for the steamy fiction film, 9 1/2 Weeks. In Thoth, which also won an Oscar, Kernochan focuses on the eccentric S K Thoth, a New York performer who mixes violin "playing", an operatic voice, and improvised dancing...
Sunrise Over Tiananmen Sq. by Shui-Bo Wang ('98) (Can) (30m)
This is a visual autobiography of an artist who grew up in China during the upheavals of the late 20th century. A film from Canada, it is not surprising that it mixes animation with real life photos to present a narrative on the Cultural Revolution. For Shui-Bo Wang and his generation, the bloody scenes at Tiananmen Square were a symbol of the new China. This short, animated documentary traces Shui-Bo's roots and his own journey as he searches for the truth.
