Documentary Shorts

Nai Nai and Wai Po

This film focuses on two old Asian ladies, 83 and 94 years old. They are related to each other as in-laws. They spend most of their time together as they live together. They play on the piano, sleep together, wrestle, dance, play dress up, and watch old videos. They’ve experienced death from loved ones and war in their long lifetimes. They look over photo albums and sometimes get bad phone calls. They have to exercise to keep their muscles moving because of their age. They are more active in this documentary than they normally would be. They live happy lives. The film is directed and produced by Sean Weng. He is related to them in some way not revealed in the movie.

4 1/2 stars

The Barber of Little Rock

This documentary film is produced by The New Yorker. Its topic is Generational Wealth, and it’s narrated by Arlo Washington, who also stars. He talks about the challenges of when you can’t pay your rent, put gas in your car, or food on your table. He also owns and teaches haircutting to locals. The Washington Barber College, founded in 2008, created and gave opportunities to 1,500 licensed barbers. He also runs The People Trust nonprofit loan fund, one of 1,500 Community Development Financial Institutions CDFIs, the only one owned and operated by a Black man. There are talking heads, who discuss the problem in rural Arkansas involving banking, driving, and dining while Black. He gives grants to those he thinks he can help and those who want to help themselves do better. This film shows a device in this country of those who have and have not. It’s a sad situation for thousands of Americans. The film is directed and produced by John Hoffman & Christine Turner.

4 stars

Island in Between

This is an Op-docs production and an Asian film directed by S Leo Chaing. It shows a beachhead, with tanks in the sand, in Kinmen, Taiwan. Archival footage of war and the history of this little island. There is music playing of a popular song that gives the filmmaker a new outlook on his country and the one that overlooks it, China. Just across the divide, there is a channel; it is surrounded on three sides. Taiwan is a free country while China is a communist country; everybody is still worried if China decides to invade Kinmen. It seems unlikely, but you never know. The director has found memories of his family and their life on Kinmen. Beautiful music accompanies the ending of the film.

3 1/2 stars

The ABCs of Book Banning

Books throughout history have been banned, and the same goes for today as well. There are different ratings of books that are banned, Books can be Challenged, Restricted, or Banned or other various stages of being blocked by people who don’t want others reading them, The film is from the perspective of children who read the books. There is animation and graphics on the screen to show stats. As a fan of one of the banned books Maus by Art Spiegelman, I am very annoyed by how people and our governments can ban books. This goes back so far, and it’s because these types of people don’t want other people’s voices heard. It’s a shame to me. When I read Maus and its sequel along with Night, I learned a lot about WWII Auschwitz, and the persecution of Jews. This was an influential book for me, and I know it would be for others who have the chance to read it like I did. The film is directed by Nazanet Habetzghi, Trish Adlesic, and Sheila Nevins. 

4 1/2 stars

The Last Repair Shop

This film features men and women, Dana Atkinson, Duane Micheals, Paty Moreno, and Steve Bagnanyan who work for a music instrument repair shop in Los Angeles. With talking heads, we see the owner and repair people’s stories of how they got to this place in their lives. They repair violins, cellos, and various other stringed or woodwind instruments. Their stories are very inspiring and so is the fact that this repair show remains alive and well in such a modern age of musical instruments and technology. The film is directed by Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers with music by Bowers and Katya Richardson. This short film is currently streaming on Hulu.

4 1/2 stars

By Dan Skip Allen