Trump Era Looms Over Short Doc Oscar Films: 'Life and Death' (Exclusive Video)

Oscar-nominated documentary short film director Daphne Matziaraki knows how prescient her film about Syrian refugees is — now that President Donald Trump has signed a travel ban.

“These people do not want to leave their homes,” she said of her time filming “4.1 Miles.” “They do not want to go to Europe. They do not want to go to America. They have no other option because they are on this fine line between life and death, and these are the people who are not allowed to come into this country,” she told TheWrap’s Steve Pond at our Screening Series event in which the filmmakers behind this year’s Oscar nominees for Best Documentary Short spoke.

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Their films cover topics like education, healthcare, and the Middle East; issues that have become hot button topics thanks to the new Republican-controlled government in Washington. As part of TheWrap’s Screening Series, all five nominated filmmakers discussed how the rise of Donald Trump and the GOP has quickly given the stories they tell new context.

For one movie, Trump has had a direct impact on the people responsible for making it. “The White Helmets,” a Netflix doc directed by Orlando von Einsiedel, embeds itself with a team of volunteer rescue workers from the Syrian Civil Defense, who are tasked with rescuing civilians from collapsed buildings in Aleppo after Russian bombings. Due to the potential danger, Einsiedel and his team only filmed interviews and the Helmets’ training exercises near the border. The footage of the team in action in Aleppo was actually filmed by the Helmets themselves. After learning of their Oscar nomination, Einsiedel had hoped to bring the rescuers featured in the film to America to tell their story. Trump’s travel ban brought an end to that.

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“Within 36 hours, this new executive order came into place, so of course that was incredibly disappointing for them,” Einsiedel said. “I talk about it because it was an incredibly lost opportunity for America… The voices of people from other parts of the world, especially places like Syria, is so important at the moment to bridge misunderstanding. The message of compassion and dignity which the White Helmets embody is such an important message, and it’s such a shame that they won’t be able to share it with everybody.”

Einsiedel was joined on the panel by fellow directors Matziaraki (“4.1 Miles”), Marcel Mettelsiefen (“Watani: My Homeland”), Dan Krauss (“Extremis”), and Kahane Cooperman, along with producer Raphaela Neihausen (“Joe’s Violin”).

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“The White Helmets” is just one of three films on the nominee list that approaches the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis. “4.1 Miles” tells the story of a Greek coast guard captain who patrols the Aegean Sea to save those fleeing Syria on the dangerous trek into Europe. “Watani: My Homeland” shows the struggle of the refugees who do make it into Europe by following three children who start a new life in Germany after their father, Syrian rebel commander Abu Ali, was captured by ISIS.

Mettelsiefen said that a major reason why he made “Watani” was to show a story about Muslims that could counter the violent images from the Middle East that dominate the news cycle.

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“The only story that is coming out right now is bearded men chopping off heads,” he said. “This is dictating an entire narrative for an entire religion…Xenophobia and social divide and hate and fear is what’s happening all around the world and it’s exactly these people — children, families, women — who have been leaving and escaping this very danger from the Islamic State…and they are now denied entry into several parts of the world because they are identified with the monster that has been created.”

Joining these films on the nominee list are “Extremis,” Dan Krauss’ observational look into the tough decisions surrounding end-of-life care in an intensive care unit, and “Joe’s Violin,” an uplifting tale of a violin that changes hands from Polish Holocaust survivor Joe Feingold to 12-year-old Brianna Perez, who is learning how to play violin at the Bronx Learning Institute for Girls in New York.

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Though “Joe’s Violin” is the most cheery of the five contenders, Kahane Cooperman and Raphaela Neihausen said that even they felt that their work has been given new context by Trump’s presidency. Neihausen said that both she and Cooperman are first generation immigrants, as are the subjects of their film.

“Making this film just really affirms…what is this country about? What are our shared values?” Neihausen said. “It became so imperative [to show] what an arts education gives to a young person in this country. It’s astounding how these lives are changed by learning music. A simple thing changes lives.”

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Cooperman noted the final scene in her film, when Joe and Brianna say their goodbyes. She noted that the scene shows Joe, a Polish immigrant, climbing into an Uber car with an American flag on it. Cooperman explained that a large percentage of the Uber drivers in New York are also immigrants.

“At the time, it was such a typical sight I didn’t think anything of it,” she said. “But as soon as the election happened, I was watching it at a screening and thought, ‘Wow, an immigrant is driving another immigrant away from a school where he just had a bond with this Dominican girl.'”

Krauss agreed that following Trump’s election, “all films have been reframed” and encouraged the audience to read Dan Schoenbrun’s essay for Filmmaker Magazine titled “All Movies are Political Movies.”

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“It made the point that every movie from the most benign animation to the most overt political film…everything we contribute to our cultural fabric matters,” he said. “And I think that as filmmakers we feel that responsibility more than ever before. I think that one of our primary responsibilities as storytellers is to imbue that dialogue with empathy and respect in a way that we’re not experiencing right now.”

All the Oscar nominated short films in the live action, animated, and documentary categories are arriving in theaters for a limited time starting this Friday. Click here to find a screening near you.

'OJ: Made In America,' and the 30 Other Game-Changing '30 for 30' Films (Photos)

The five-part "O.J.: Made In America" marks a watershed moment for "30 for 30," the ESPN documentary series that has proven to be one of the best concepts the network has ever come up with. Co-created by Connor Schell and Bill Simmons in 2009 to chronicle 30 stories from the "ESPN era" beginning with the network's founding in 1979, the series has elevated filmmakers, creating unforgettable works that have received awards, critical acclaim and festival selections many times over.

Also Read: ESPN’s ‘OJ: Made in America’ Documentary: 7 Things You Need to Know
ESPN
30. "Trojan War"
Pete Carroll turned the USC Trojans into the first college football powerhouse of the 21st century before leaving for the Seattle Seahawks amidst NCAA sanctions. USC alum Aaron Rahsaan Thomas looks at the beginning of the Trojans' steady decline: The Team's loss in the 2006 national championship game against Texas.
ESPN
29. "The Price of Gold"
The Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan scandal was one of the most disgraceful in women's sports. It was also insanely profitable for figure skating. Director Nanette Burstein takes a look at the incident 20 years later and what it meant for both the sport and Harding's turbulent life.
ESPN
28. "Youngstown Boys"
The rise and fall of college dynasties and the corrupt side of school sports has been a regular topic on "30 For 30." The film takes a look at the scandals that surrounded Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel and fallen star Maurice Clarrett, the latter of whom ended up in prison.
ESPN
27. "The 16th Man"
This documentary about the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was hosted by South Africa shortly after the end of Apartheid, featured Morgan Freeman -- who played Nelson Mandela in the biopic, "Invictus," -- is the narrator.
ESPN
26. "The Birth of Big Air"
What if I told you the guys who made "Jackass" contributed to this series? After earning fame by filming guys doing stupid things, Jeff Tremaine directed this documentary about the life of Mat Hoffman, the greatest BMX rider of all time. Hoffman's interviews reveal the drive that not only defines his life, but the core philosophy of action sports as well.
ESPN
25. "Winning Time"
This film is one of the lighter pieces in the "30 For 30" lineup, but also one of the best executed. It focuses on the playoff duels between the Pacers and Knicks in the mid-90s, a series that made Reggie Miller one of the top NBA players not named Michael Jordan, especially when taunting Knicks fanatic, Spike Lee.

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ESPN
24. Straight Outta L.A.
In the 80s, Al Davis took his ball and left Oakland, bringing his Raiders to Los Angeles. In the 13 seasons they played there, the Silver and Black captivated their temporary home, as well as this documentary's director, Ice Cube. "Straight Outta L.A." shows how L.A. and the Raiders were a perfect fit for each other, and how they inspired the imagery and philosophy of N.W.A.

Also Read: ‘Barbershop: The Next Cut’ Review: Ice Cube Comedy Layers Workplace Sitcom with Social Advocacy
ESPN
23. "Playing for the Mob"
Jim Sweeney was a Rhodes Scholar and a Naismith Award-winning superstar at Boston College. So why did he take money as part of a points-shaving scheme? "Playing For The Mob," directed Joe Lavine and Cayman Grant, is another great corrupt college sports tale.

Also Read: ESPN’s ’30 for 30’ Marks 5th Anniversary with Ray Liotta Voicing College Basketball Mob Documentary (Video)
ESPN
22. "Jordan Rides The Bus"
At the peak of his athletic and cultural dominance, Michael Jordan stunned everyone by leaving basketball to give minor league baseball a try. "Bull Durham" director Ron Shelton, himself a former minor league player, goes inside the motives that led one sport's greatest ever to enter a sport where he was outmatched by so many.
ESPN
21. "Bad Boys"
The '89-90 Detroit Pistons are one of the forgotten great teams in NBA history, which is weird because in their time they were hated. "Bad Boys" looks at Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, and the rest of the players that made up one of the grittiest, most physical teams in basketball history.
ESPN
20. "Of Miracles And Men"
What's it like to be on the losing end of a miracle? "Of Miracles and Men" looks at the Soviets who lost the "Miracle on Ice" and goes beyond that upset to show what it was like to be a hockey player blocked from playing in the NHL by the Iron Curtain.
ESPN
19. "Fernando Nation"
In 1959, the Latino residents of L.A.'s Chavez Ravine were forcibly evicted so their homes could make way for the construction of Dodger Stadium. Two decades later, a chubby 19-year-old from Sonora, Mexico, named Fernando Valenzuela became the biggest star not just on the Dodgers, but all of baseball.

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ESPN
18. "Four Days In October"
The 2004 American League Championship Series was the kind of sports moment "30 for 30" was made for. The Yankees were three outs away from once again killing the dreams of their rivals and sports' most famous losers, the Red Sox. Instead, the Red Sox rallied from a 3-0 series deficit, and "Four Days In October" shows how the infamous Curse of the Bambino was broken in the most unlikely of circumstances.

ESPN
17. "Slaying the Badger"
The 1986 Tour de France is widely considered to be the greatest story in cycling history. American Greg LeMond had helped his teammate Bernard Hinault win the previous year, and Hinault had pledged to return the favor. What unfolded that year en route to LeMond becoming the first American to win the Tour showed how cycling is a constant struggle between rivalry and friendship; individual and team.
ESPN
16. "Requiem For The Big East"
"O.J. Simpson: Made In America" isn't the first documentary Ezra Edelman has made for ESPN. "Requiem for the Big East" was a dive into one of his favorite things in sports: Big East college basketball. He ties in the conference's rise with that of ESPN and shows how the two forces combined to change college basketball into the form we know today.
ESPN
15. "The Announcement"
Magic Johnson has become such an esteemed elder statesman in basketball and in Los Angeles that it's easy to forget the trials he faced when he revealed he had HIV. "The Announcement" restores weight to his famous confession and explores what Magic faced shortly after his sudden retirement.

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ESPN
14. "Kings Ransom"
August 9, 1988, was a red letter day for hockey and a day that has lived in infamy for Canada. Wayne Gretzky, national hero, was being traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings. "Kings Ransom" explores the intense backlash the move received north of the border and the transformative impact it had on the NHL, as Gretzky helped expand the sport's appeal into new territory as he led the Kings to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance.
ESPN
13. "I Hate Christian Laettner"
This is one of the funniest "30 for 30" to date. Christian Laettner was one of the most dominant college hoops players of his time, and like the university he played for, everyone loved to hate him. Rory Karpf talks with Laettner in a film that explores how an athlete can inspire such passionate hatred for reasons both valid and ludicrous.

Also Read: Duke Basketball Legend Christian Laettner on Being So Hated That ESPN Made a ’30 for 30’ Film About It
ESPN
12. "You Don't Know Bo"
Bo Jackson never won a championship, but he did something even better: he became a mythical figure. With the help of some creative animated pieces, Michael Bonfiglio delves through fact and fiction to explore the incredible legend Bo built around himself -- and what he left behind.
ESPN
11. "Pony Excess"
Thaddeus Matula was the son of an SMU professor and a rabid fan of the school's football team, the Mustangs. He was eight when the Mustangs faced the unthinkable: the NCAA was shutting down their program for two years, bringing an end to their dominance. "Pony Excess" is Matula's retelling of that scandal, digging into the football team's dealings with oil tycoons and corrupt politicians in a city and decade that was consumed by greed.
ESPN
10. "Broke"
A sobering documentary that proves the adage "mo' money, mo' problems" is more true than you might believe. Billy Corben interviews retired athletes who lost all their wealth from their pro career through poor investments, bad friends, and of course, the temptation of materialism.
ESPN
9. "Fantastic Lies"
Marina Zenovich, director of "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired," created this scathing piece on the 2006 Duke Lacrosse case, exposing how the public's outrage at injustice can sometimes become overzealous and catch innocent people in the crossfire.
ESPN
8. "Muhammad and Larry"
In 1980, Muhammad Ali wanted one more title match against Larry Holmes. The fight proved what everyone but Ali already knew: The Greatest was past his prime. Using archival footage of the fight he shot himself, director Albert Maysles shows the humanity of both fighters, including the dark side of Ali that fueled his competitiveness, and the reluctance of Holmes to put down his friend and idol for good.
ESPN
7. "Catching Hell"
Every Cubs fan wonders what might have happened if Steve Bartman had let Moises Alou catch that foul ball in 2003. Director Alex Gibney lifts the curtain on what happened to Bartman after that infamous catch and questions why sports fans so often dwell on singular moments of bad luck.

Also Read: HBO to Develop Alex Gibney’s Death Row Drama Starring Laura Dern
ESPN
6. "The Best That Never Was"
Marcus Dupree was the greatest high school football recruit of his generation and the pride of his hometown of Philadelphia. He then went to Oklahoma and quickly fizzled out. Director Jonathan Hock tracked down Dupree to find out what went wrong and how Dupree was able to come to peace with the direction his life ended up taking.
ESPN
5. "Four Falls of Buffalo"
It hurts to watch your team lose a title. To have that happen four straight years is almost unimaginable. Yet that's what Buffalo Bills fans experienced as their team lost four consecutive Super Bowls. But instead of just lamenting their defeats, "Four Falls of Buffalo" becomes a love letter to the city the Bills call home, as well as a call to really consider just what the Bills managed to achieve.
ESPN
4. "The U"
In the 80s, a pair of cultural phenomena changed Miami forever: "Miami Vice" and The U. This documentary follows the latter, showing how the Canes' dominance brought South Florida's most well-known university unprecedented fame and party school cred before it hit a brutal decline.
ESPN
3. "June 17, 1994"
Everyone remembers where they were when O.J. Simpson drove that white Bronco, but do you remember what else happened that day? From Stanley Cup parades and World Cup matches to the MLB lockout, director Brett Morgen explores a day in sports history unlike any other in one of the first prominent "30 For 30" installments.

Also Read: OJ Fact Check: Two White Broncos?
ESPN
2. "Hillsborough"
"Hillsborough" covers the human crush at an FA Cup match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in 1989 that killed 96 people. Police blamed fans for the incident, but a new inquest exonerated them and delivered a verdict of unlawful killing earlier this year.
ESPN
1. "The Two Escobars"
This is not only the greatest "30 for 30;" it is also one of the greatest documentaries in recent memory. Andres Escobar was a hero to the people of Colombia, yet the national team he played for was bankrolled with by the infamous drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. "The Two Escobars" is one of the finest examples of how sports can become more than a game. Sometimes, it can all too literally become a matter of life and death.
ESPN

1 of 31

From ”The U“ to ”The Two Escobars,“ we count down the 30 greatest documentaries that ESPN’s critically-acclaimed series has gifted us

The five-part "O.J.: Made In America" marks a watershed moment for "30 for 30," the ESPN documentary series that has proven to be one of the best concepts the network has ever come up with. Co-created by Connor Schell and Bill Simmons in 2009 to chronicle 30 stories from the "ESPN era" beginning with the network's founding in 1979, the series has elevated filmmakers, creating unforgettable works that have received awards, critical acclaim and festival selections many times over.

Also Read: ESPN’s ‘OJ: Made in America’ Documentary: 7 Things You Need to Know

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Trump Era Looms Over Short Doc Oscar Films: ‘Life and Death’ (Exclusive Video)

'OJ: Made In America,' and the 30 Other Game-Changing '30 for 30' Films (Photos)

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'OJ: Made In America,' and the 30 Other Game-Changing '30 for 30' Films (Photos)

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