Le Pupille (2022)

This is the first of the short Live Action movies that I have watched, but it is so charming on the surface with so much depth of commentary that I really hope it wins. It takes place in an orphanage in Bologna, featuring the Church of San Barbaziano and the stunning portico of San Luca. It is Christmas Eve, the nuns are just what you would suspect--controling, ostensibly focused on the Lord, but really take pleasure in their power over the children, and they are ramping up for the annual nativity pagent, where the convent raises money. The biggest yield is a Zuppa Inglese (an Italian trifle that you should try in Bologna after you have had the ragu the city is famous for), an enomormous and mouth wateringly beautiful creation that the nuns see fit to deprive the kids of, and it's hilarious end. The church does not look good here, but everyone else does. A word on the portico--Bologna is home to dozens, if not hundreds of stunning porticos, but this one is the longest in the world, and well worth walking should you find yourself nearby. The featuring of UNESCO World Heritage sites in films is a wonderful thing. And the cinematography is spectacular to boot.