How Do You Measure a Year? is a 2021 American short documentary film directed by Jay Rosenblatt. The documentary film is about a father–daughter relationship. The title comes from lyrics of the track "Seasons of Love" from the 1996 Pulitzer Prize–winning musical Rent. The film was nominated for the 95th Academy Awards in Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film category. It was also screened in August 2021 at the 74th Locarno Film Festival.
Summary The documentary is about the relationship of a father and his daughter via home movies. The father films his daughter every year on her birthday, asking the same questions. The girl goes from a toddler to a young woman with all the beautiful and awkward stages in between while the father-daughter relationship evolves in all its complexities.
Cast Ella Rosenblatt Jay Rosenblatt
Release The film had its world premiere on August 13, 2021 at the 74th Locarno Film Festival. Prior to that, the film was screened at the 62nd Kraków Film Festival, which took place from 29 May to 12 June 2022 in Kraków, Poland. It won the Golden Dragon award for the best short film in the festival.
Reception Chris Esper, writing in Film Threat, graded the film 9/10 and opined that the film records life and time uniquely and beautifully. Esper, praising the film, stated, "A home movie that leaves the viewer with a big grin and perhaps even reflective on their own life."
Accolades It was selected for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film and subsequently shortlisted and nominated for the 95th Academy Awards in said category. Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result It's All True – International Documentary Film Festival 10 April 2022 Best Documentary in the International Competition: Short FilmsHow Do You Measure a Year? Documenta Madrid 2022 7 May 2022 Audience Award Kraków Film Festival 11 June 2022 Golden Dragon for Best Short Film Academy Awards 12 March 2023 Best Documentary Short Film 'The Elephant Whisperers' Wins Best Documentary Short Film | 95th Oscars (2023)
See also Anna: 6–18 (1994) – a feature film using the same concept, by Russian director Nikita Mikhalkov Rent – the title comes from a lyric from the 1996 musical
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