Overview

We divide the five nominees for Best Documentary Short Film into two programs. In the second, two films from the UK tell compelling stories from the current refugee crisis. Watani: My Homeland follows four young children live with their mother and father, a Free Syrian Commander, in Aleppo; after their father is captured by ISIS, the children flee with their mother and we see their pained journey to establish a new home. The White Helmets, the eponymous group known for being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, are unarmed and neutral civilian volunteers who comb through the rubble after bombings to rescue survivors. Both documentaries blend to show gripping tales of survival and the pressing need to address the refugee crisis.