Academy Award-Nominated Documentary Short Films 2017, Program B

Wednesday, February 8 - Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Watani: My Homeland – dir. Marcel Mettelsiefen, 39 minutes
Four young children live with their mother and father, a Free Syrian Commander, in a warzone in Aleppo, Syria. After their father is captured by ISIS, the children flee with their mother to Goslar, Germany, in a years-long journey that will test them all as they try to find a safe home in a foreign country.

The White Helmets – dir. Orlando von Einsiedel, 41 minutes
In the chaos of war-torn Syria, unarmed and neutral civilian volunteers known as “the white helmets” comb through the rubble after bombings to rescue survivors. Although they have already saved more than 60,000 lives since 2013, these brave first responders continue to place themselves in danger every day.

The other 3 documentary shorts nominated for the Oscar can be seen in Program A.

Suitable for ages 16+

See all of the Academy Award-nominated short programs here.

• Running Time 85 minutes

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.