The documentary short category this year feels especially wracked with tragedy, what with the nominee count at five (the first time since 2004) and their total running time spanning more than three hours. Topics include the deaths of schoolchildren in an earthquake in rural China and the emotional effects of the tragedy on their parents, the struggle to pass a right-to-die bill in Washington by a former governor during the 2008 elections, the displacement of wild rabbits who lived and prospered within the confines of the Berlin Wall, a message of hope offered by a Zimbabwe singer-songwriter deformed by a brittle bone syndrome, and the closing of a GM plant in Moraine, Ohio. Some have their problems, but there isn't a weakling in the bunch, with one feeling like a no-brainer for the win given recent disruptions on our delicate Earth's surface. Continue Reading »