Sương, a young girl from rural Vietnam, migrates to the bustling city of Saigon to work in a local eatery with two other migrant workers. Within the caging, barren walls of the eatery, their mornings are filled with repetitive tasks, and the rest of the day with vacuous, tedious hours. However, behind her veil of apathy, Suong battles a dilemma that she soon has to face with her family.
Nominee
Roads of Ithriyah
Ahmad, a Syrian militant, wakes up concussed in the desert after an explosion and can’t remember what side of the war he was fighting for. As he survives the walk to a safe outpost called Ithriyah, he discovers a small vial of perfume in his pocket that triggers memories of his mother and sister. The memories begin to paint a picture of uncomfortable truths of his past and set him on a collision course against his current self.
Sixty Seconds
In a single minute, Tyler Turner’s life changed during a routine skydive. His life is cleaved into two segments: life prior to and after sixty seconds that he’ll never get back. This award-winning short documentary follows Turner after his accident as he pursues a nuanced physical and nuanced emotional recovery.
Pili Ka Moʻo
The Fukumitsu ʻOhana (family) of Hakipuʻu are Native Hawaiian taro farmers and keepers of this generational practice. While much of Oʻahu has become urbanized, Hakipuʻu remains a kīpuka (oasis) of traditional knowledge where great chiefs once resided and their bones still remain. The Fukumitsus are tossed into a world of complex real estate and judicial proceedings when nearby Kualoa Ranch, a large settler-owned corporation, destroys their familial burials to make way for continued development
Weckuwapasihtit (Those Yet to Come)
On the Eastern reaches of the occupied territory now referred to as North America, the children of Koluskap call upon ancestral teachings to guide them. Revitalizing cultural practices kept from their elders, Peskotomuhkati young people lead an intergenerational process of healing through the reclamation of athasikuwi-pisun, "tattoo medicine."
Ma’s House
Ma’s House was once the heart of a community. As Ma’s grandson, artist and photographer Jeremy Dennis is on a quest to restore the family home to its central role as a community gathering place for a new generation of diverse artists. Through personal mementos, intimate narratives, and a touch of celebrity gossip, Dennis and his family reveal generations of history and hope contained within the walls of their home.