Outstanding Short Films

The West Bank Story poster

From the web

I just finished watching the short films nominated in the 2006 Academy Award. Thanks to the DVD collection I borrowed from LeRoy V. Good Library at Monroe Community College.

The collection includes:

Live Action

1. West Bank Story (winner) of Ari Sandel (United States)


2. The Saviour by Peter Templeman (Austrailia)


3. One Too Many by Borja Cobeaga (Spain)


4. Helmer & Son by Soren Pilmark (Denmark)


5. Binta & the Great Idea by Javier Fesser (Spain)

Animation

1. The Danish Poet (winner) by Torill Kove (Norway and Canada)


2. Maestro by Geza M. Toth (Hungary)

I haven't watched the bonus short films (but I will eventually). They are:

1. A Gentleman's Duel by Francisco Ruiz and Sean McNally


2. Guide Dog by Bill Plympton


3. One Short Rat by Alex Weil


4. The Passenger by Chris Jones


5. Surviving the Rush by Sean Farley


6. The Wraith of Cobble Hill by Adam Parrish King

West Bank Story is an exceptional film. It was written by Kim Ray and Ari Sandel. The music was composed by Yuval Ron. Set in imaginary West Bank, Palestine it is a parody of West Side Story with the elements of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Two conflicting restaurants are featured: Kosher King of the Jews ("we never open on Sabbath") and Hummus Hut of the Arabs ("we love garbanzos beans").

Ordering food at the Hummus Hut is enticing - a girl firing a machine gun. Menu includes: "Settlement must be cruched kabbob platter" and "Death by chocolate suicide bomber cream pie" (reminds me of my favorite Perry's ice cream flavor, "Death by Chocolate".

The love story is between an Arab girl, Fatima palyed by Noureen Dewulf, and Israeli soldier, David, played by David Newmark. Of course their own brothers (both restaurant managers- Ariel, a Jew played by A. J. Tannen, and Ahmed, an Arab played by Joey Naber - were opposed to their romance.