Break my heart in a minute flat.

I've been researching local videographers for a little project. Getting recommendations was easy - after all, everyone knows someone with a camera and an empty pocket. Finding someone who can tell a compelling story in a short amount of time has been much harder. Desperate for inspiration, I turned to some of my favorite short films. I think you'll enjoy them, too. (And if you know any enterprising videographers, get at me)

5 films about Technology: Instagram, selfies, and porn
This short tells five distinct stories in less than five minutes. Hilarious and a little sad, each story resonates. 

I felt amused, disgusted, sad, and sheepish - all at once. 

Place des fêtes 
I am not a hugger. In fact, I am miles away from being even minimally affectionate. But I cry ALL THE TIME. This short film, featured in the Paris, Je t'aime collection, left me in tears and reaching for an embrace.

​I don't think people are meant to be alone. 

In a Heartbeat
I typically don't go out of my way to watch new animated works, preferring instead to stick to the basics like Mulan and Lion King - or even Pixar classics like A Bug's Life. But this viral short touched me. 

Know the ledge
Subverting the white gaze isn't new. America's favorite author, Toni Morrison, explains it beautifully in this video interview from years ago.

Performative Blackness suffocates. Know the Ledge was a gust of warm Los Angeles wind on my face, bright sunshine all around. 

Lick the star
Every Black or immigrant kid I knew had a room in their house where no one was permitted to enter; in my family's house, it was the upstairs living room. Formal visitors only - kids and teens were persona non grata.

I remember sitting in the downstairs family room, sprawled on the couch, waiting for Lick the Star to roll around. It was pre-YouTube, so I had to lie in wait while watching the International Film Channel. And honey - this film aged WELL.