by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer

The 2022 Sundance Film Festival featured dozens of shorts in animated, narrative, documentary, and midnight programs. In addition, dozens of “anniversary” shorts from previous festivals were made available. Here are ten highlights from various programs from this year. 

Stranger Than Rotterdam with Sara Driver recounts the nerve-wracking experiences the producer of Jim Jarmusch’s, Stranger Than Paradise had trying to get the classic indie film made. The wild story—told entirely with puppets—involves securing and taking the only print of Robert Frank’s Cocksucker Blues to Rotterdam. The short is a drolly amusing story that champions Driver’s determination to get Stranger Than Paradise made back in the days when folks shot on film, there were crackdowns on pornography, and people did not like films made in black and white. And it also explains how Jim Jarmusch’s hair turned white.

Writer/director Max Sam’s outstanding two-hander, Chaperone provides a tense sixteen minutes. The title character (Zachary Quinto) collects the client (Russell Kahn) and escorts him to a house where they will have an assignation. But the slightly sinister tone suggests something darker is afoot. Quinto is suitable aloof, and Kahn etches just enough emotion into his character to give this nifty short some depth. Viewers will fill in the blanks as things unfold, which is what makes Chaperone so great. 

Another fantastic (if unsettling) short was You’ve Never Been Completely Honest, by Joey Izzo. This film features a recording that businessman Gene Church made after he endured an astounding experience. This film mixes animation—to depict things that really should not be performed in real life—documentary, and actor reenactments to create multiple layers of meaning. What Church underwent during a seminar he was compelled to attend back decades ago is shocking. The film packs a powerful wallop as Church describes his emotions and reactions, and Izzo vividly brings the event to life. It will arouse apoplexy in HR executives. 

In contrast, another documentary short, Deerwoods Deathtrap, recounts a terrifying moment in the lives of Jack and Betty Gannon, but with far less vigor. The story, shot by their son James (on film), has a real amateur feel to it that is meant to be quaint and charming—especially as husband and wife contradict each other about whether the radio was on or how fast she was driving. But the short, which tells the rather unusual story of being hit by a train, is more interesting for what happened than the folksy way it is told. 

The documentary short Long Line of Ladies provides an interesting look at the Ihuk (Flower Dance) coming-of-age ceremony young Karuk girls in Northern California undergo after they have their first period. This sensitive short film chronicles Ahty’s transition into womanhood and the preparations she makes as well as the supports she receives from her family, friends and members of the community. Shining a light on a practice—the girls are blindfolded and must fast for 3 ½ days—that was discontinued for 120 years ago (because of sexual violence), this custom was revived in the early 1990s and has given Karuk teens a sense of empowerment. As Long Line of Ladies shows, the generation of their grandmothers, mothers, and aunts also feel a connection that did not have firsthand. 

The imaginative animated short Goodbye Jerome! takes the simple premise of a man who arrives in heaven searching for his wife—and puts an interesting spin on the reunion. Jerome has a series of offbeat encounters that lead up to his exchange with his beloved, and his emotions are mirrored in the film’s dynamic imagery. The amusing visuals include a wild animal in a tree, to a hot dog (that is really an adorable small dog), to ants with faces. Running just under 10 minutes, the film never overstays its welcome, carrying viewers through Jerome’s absurd experiences before things culminate with a satisfying punchline. 

In contrast, the raucous, raunchy animated short, Rendang of Death, depicts the horrific, unthinkable violence that erupts at an Indonesian restaurant when the last piece of Rendang is served. Suddenly, friendship means nothing and a rendang death match begins. Knives, chairs, even the ceiling fan go flying, and folks bust heads and burst into the restaurant to secure that last tasty piece of rendang. It gets bloody, disgusting, and even a bit silly, but surely, that rendang is worth it.   

Daddy’s Girl is an amiable comic short written and directed by Lena Hudson. Alison (Tedra Millan) has asked her father, Robert (Peter Friedman) to help her move out of her boyfriend Greg’s (Rhett Rossi) apartment. Dad arrives with weed (it’s decriminalized!) and Joni Mitchell to soothe his daughter’s heartbreak, and the scenes of them smoking and moving are fun—as is their plan to get one over on Greg. Daddy’s Girl generates its humor in Alison’s relaxed relationship with the truth and the bright performances by Millan and Friedman.

You Go Girl! Is a poignant short about Audrey (Tiffany Mann) who is alternately seen performing a stand-up routine in New York and climbing a mountain in Oregon. Both of these tasks have a fair degree of difficulty, and it eventually becomes clear how they are connected. Director and cowriter Shariffa Ali provides humor and heart as Audrey’s story evolves. Mann is terrific being fearless on stage while navigating a different set of emotions on the uphill climb. This is a wonderful, moving film about life’s highs and lows. 

The Romanian short, Love Stories on the Move, is a thoughtful meditation on romance. Lili (Ilinca Harnut) drives a taxi and listens to passengers talk about love. They certainly provide a distraction from her marriage to Dani (Andi Vasluianu), who treats her poorly. The taxi scenes, shot from the car’s dashboard are wonderful, allowing viewers to see Lili’s expression as well as her passengers as they discuss what people will do when they are in love. This short, written and directed by Carina-Gabriela Dasoveanu, has a wistful tone, and Harnut’s emotions are beautifully conveyed as she reflects, often silently, on what she observes both on and off the job.