RequiemforRomance

Normally I try to make a point to feature shorts on the weekend, but I am going to make a special exception today. I found out recently that one of my favourite shorts in recent years, Requiem for Romance, made it onto the 2013 Academy Awards top 10 shortlist in the animated short film category. I original watched Requiem for Romance at last year’s Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival and then was fortunate enough to see it again at one of the Shorts That Are Not Pants screenings. Needless to say the film plays even better upon repeat viewings. Director Jonathan Ng creates a visual treat that is an epic re-imagining of a diminishing relationship. Using feudal China as a backdrop, Ng explores how culture and social class can impede love. Whether or not Requiem for Romance makes the final Oscar ballot, it is a masterful film that deserves the awards and praise it has already received.

Requiem for Romance
Director: Jonathan Ng/ Canada/ 7 Minutes

Published by Courtney Small

The founder of Cinema Axis, Courtney is a Rotten Tomatoes approved critic who can frequently be heard discussing film as co-host of Frameline on Radio Regent. Courtney has contributed to several publications including Leonard Maltin, That Shelf, POV Magazine, In the Seats, Black Girl Nerds, and Comix Asylum. He has appeared on ET Canada and Hollywood Suite's Cinema A to Z. Courtney celebrates diversity in cinema as host of the Changing Reels podcast and is a member of the Toronto Film Critics Association, the Online Film Critics Society, and the African American Film Critics Association. He is also a Golden Globes International Voter.

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