PLEASE NOTE: Not suitable for children under 13. Topics include the Holocaust, inferred child sexual abuse, and violent battle scenes.
Our Uniform – dir. Yegane Moghaddam, 7 min., Iran (in Farsi)
An Iranian girl unfolds her school memories through the wrinkles and fabrics of her old uniform. She admits that she’s nothing but a “female” and explores the roots of this idea in her school years.
Letter to a Pig – dir. Tal Kantor and Amit R. Gicelter, 17 min., France/Israel (in Hebrew)
A Holocaust survivor reads a letter he wrote to the pig who saved his life. A young schoolgirl hears his testimony in class and sinks into a twisted dream where she confronts questions of identity, collective trauma, and the extremes of human nature.
Pachyderm– dir. Stéphanie Clément and Marc Rius, 11 min., USA (in English)
Like every summer, Louise stays at her grandparents’ in the countryside for a few days during the holidays. It will snow at the height of summer and a monster is going to die.
Ninety-Five Senses – dir. Jerusha Hess and Jared Hess, 13 min., USA (in English)
An ode to the body’s five senses delivered by a man with little time left to enjoy them.
War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko – dir. Dave Mullins and Brad Booker, 11 min., USA
Set in an alternate WWI reality where a senseless war rages on, two soldiers on opposite sides of the conflict play a joyful game of chess. A heroic carrier pigeon delivers the soldiers’ chess moves over the battlefield as the fighting escalates. Neither soldier knows his opponent as the game and the war builds to its climatic final move. Whoever wins the game, one thing is for certain: there are no winners in war.
ADDITIONAL FILMS INCLUDED:
Wild Summon – dir. Karni Arieli and Saul Freed, 14 min., UK (in English, narrated by Marianne Faithfull)
A natural history fantasy film, following the dramatic life cycle of the wild salmon in human form.
I’m Hip – dir. John Musker, 4 min., USA
A self-absorbed cat, in a jazzy song and dance, proudly and comically proclaims his “hipness” to the world. The world is less convinced than he is.
Also playing at the JBFC: the 2024 Live Action Oscar Shorts! Stay tuned for the 2024 Documentary Oscar Shorts, opening Feb. 23.
