Saddle up for Oscar shorts
“Perfectly a Strangeness”
International short films return to the big screen when Lincoln City’s Bijou Theatre presents three curated programs of animation, documentary and live-action cinema from Feb. 27 through March 5.
Each program showcases award-winning shorts from around the world, offering audiences a wide-ranging look at contemporary filmmaking.
Individual programs run from 87 to 158 minutes depending on the category.
The Animation program, 87 minutes, is recommended for viewers 13 and older and includes:
● “Butterfly,” directed by Florence Miailhe, a poignant retelling of Olympic swimmer Alfred Nakache’s life and survival of Auschwitz.
● “Forevergreen,” directed by Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears, a heartfelt tale of an orphaned bear cub and a fatherly tree.
● “The Girl Who Cried Pearls,” directed by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, a haunting fable about grief and greed.
● “Retirement Plan,” directed by John Kelly and starring Domhnall Gleeson.
● “The Three Sisters,” directed by Konstantin Bronzit, about isolated siblings forced to adapt.
The Documentary program, 158 minutes, features:
● “All the Empty Rooms,” directed by Joshua Seftel, memorializing bedrooms left behind by children killed in school shootings.
● “Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud,” directed by Craig Renaud and Brent Renaud, about a journalist killed covering the war in Ukraine.
● “Children No More: Were and Are Gone,” directed by Hilla Medalia, following weekly protests in Tel Aviv.
● “The Devil Is Busy,” directed by Christalyn Hampton and Geeta Gandbhir, documenting the fight for reproductive rights.
● “Perfectly a Strangeness,” directed by Alison McAlpine, a sensory exploration set in the desert.
The Live Action program, 113 minutes, is recommended for viewers 17 and older and includes:
● “Butcher’s Stain,” directed by Meyer Levinson-Blount, about a supermarket worker fighting to clear his name.
● “A Friend of Dorothy,” directed by Lee Knight and starring Miriam Margolyes, about a lonely widow whose life is unexpectedly changed.
● “Jane Austen’s Period Drama,” directed by Julia Aks and Steve Pinder, a comedic satire of “Pride and Prejudice.”
● “The Singers,” directed by Sam A. Davis, adapted from a 19th-Century story by Ivan Turgenev.
● “Two People Exchanging Saliva,” directed by Alexandre Singh and Natalie Musteata, set in a dystopian world where kissing is forbidden.
Tickets are $10 per program, or $27 for a pass covering all three programs.
Screenings run at 2 pm and 7:30 pm, with documentaries beginning at 7 pm during evening showings. The Bijou Theatre is located at 1624 NE Hwy. 101 Lincoln City. For more information and full schedule, go to cinemalovers.com.