Since the Internet is abuzz with Oscar nominations, I thought it would be beneficial for us to scope out the competition. One of the nominated pieces for Documentary Short Film, The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life (Malcolm Clarke and Nicholas Reed) features the world’s oldest living pianist, Alice Herz Sommer. She is also the world’s oldest living Holocaust surviver, making her a registered BAMF.
What I wanted to pay attention to, although it’s just a trailer, is what is working in terms of this piece. We have an incredibly interesting subject, check. We have interviews from other sources, (trying to remember the triangle, here) and archival footage, photographs and illustrations. Finally, we have the unanswered question; how did music save this person from the Nazis? Along the way we’re sure to learn about the romance and power of music and its influence on all of our lives and the world, hopefully letting us walk away with a warm fuzzy feeling in our heart. What do you think might make this piece award-worthy?
I love this lady, she is so amazing! Thank you so much for sharing this. I think one thing that is so great about this video is that it is dealing with a very heavy subject (the holocaust) in a light way (super sweet old woman musician). It looks like the movie has some really great archival footage and interviews, and I like how they pick up a lot of the little details that give someone personality, such as the old woman’s converse sneakers.