Short Animation 2020 Oscar Nominees

Our local independent movie theater is showing the amalgamation of the Oscar nominated shorts, and this year in their introduction to things that are upcoming, the woman stated quite clearly that the animated shorts are not for children.  You can say that again.
Memorable is visually stunning, and it takes on the theme of dementia.  A painter and his wife are struggling as he loses touch with who she is and even who he is.  It is very sad, and yet very beautiful at the same time.  This and Daughter are my two favorites, in that they have a touching story line as well as visually spectacular animation.

Kitbull is a major studio entry, but again, not a children's theme.  A pitbull who has been raised as a fighting dog, and treated like a slave is befriended by a stray street cat who show him a way out.

The most main stream and the sweetest of the entries is a man doing his child's hair while her mother is unavailable.  It is a source of sadness for both of them, and it is clear that they care deeply for each other, and so they struggle forward, with good results.

Sister is a story of loss and regret, centering on China's One Child policy.  Unlike the documentary that centers on the same topic, which was short listed for an Oscar nomination, but did not make the cut, this one is a gentler way to address the topic, but no less startling in it's conclusion.

Finally there is Daughter.  This one is available for rental on Vimeo, which is how I saw it, and it is my pick for the win.  It is a story of a daughter who is grown sitting at her aged father's hospital bedside.  She is reminded of a moment in her childhood when she sought comfort from her father and he was unable to provide it.  We are left to assume that this has colored their relationship over the years, and only then did she look at it in a different light.
The common theme this year, aside from Kitbull, is family relationships, how they progress, revealing some fragility as well.