Last Day of Freedom

"Last Day of Freedom" is a provocative and touching story about Manuel Pina Babbit, a Vietnam veteran suffering from PTSD who was sentenced to death row. "Freedom" delivers a message that is all to often left unheard through its change in perspective. The choice of narration has tremendously shifted my views on the subject because never before has the subject been presented in a way that has provoked so much emotion and anger in thirty-two minutes. This animated short film is definitely worth the watch and provides an eye-opening experience that is to be revered. I will never look at the subject with which "Freedom" addresses the same again because I simply cannot, it betrays the truth.

This film just won the International Documentary Association (IDA)'s best short film of the year award for 2015. I had the pleasure of reviewing all nominees for that award: it was a tough competition from very diverse films, all extremely accomplished examples of great documentary storytelling.

Last Day of Freedom is emotionally powerful and moving: it sparks both empathy and outrage. The animation is personal and raw, likely making the subject more accessible to broader audiences than a conventionally filmed documentary. I felt shades of great radio programs and podcasts like "This American Life" or "StoryCorps." I personally wished for a little more polish to the animations, some of which felt rushed, unfinished, or sloppy ... but then again that style gave the story an urgency and an edge, so I suspect it was very intentional. This is a story that is important and memorable: nicely done!

This is by far the most creative and striking of all these documentaries. Instead of being told as a traditional narrative, the story is animated--and in a very new and creative manner. At first, the animation was hard on the eyes and I disliked it...but the further the film progressed the more I found it really worked well...so well that the film could easily have been nominated in the Best Animated Short category as well. This is the story of Manny, as told by his older brother. Apparently Manny was brain damaged and suffered from mental illnesses (such as PTSD which resulted from his terms in Vietnam as well as schizophrenia). Eventually, Manny commits a murder and the film recounts the events leading up to it, his brother's involvement in the investigation and the outcome. The story is a striking indictment against capital punishment, as it's very, very difficult to believe that anyone would execute a man this mentally disturbed. And, unlike the other documentary shorts, this one might actually result in some positive change. In most of the others, they're depressing but the viewer is mostly left feeling helpless to do anything about the issues being presented. This is clearly my pick for the best of the documentaries and I strongly recommend you see it. It's well made, totally unique and will challenge the audience in many ways.

By the way, if you are curious I am NOT against the death penalty, though I certainly am the way it's used. In a case like this one, it seems highly inappropriate and really felt terrible for everyone involved.

UPDATE: "A Girl in the River" took the Oscar for Best Documentary Short.

If you like true stories told very well, but briefly, and you'd like to get a leg up in an Oscar pool, then this review is for you! In my continuing effort to see as many Oscar nominees as possible, I took advantage of the opportunity to see the shorts.TV theatrical presentation "Oscar Nominated Short Films 2016: Documentary" (NR, 3:00 – with 10 min. intermission). Here's a brief, spoiler-free summary and evaluation of one of those five films...

"Last Day of Freedom" (32 min.) – Bill Babbitt's little brother Manny came home from two tours in Vietnam with what we now call PTSD. After his mental illness costs him his family, Manny eventually finds himself living on the streets. Bill invites Manny to come live with him and his family, but when Manny is accused of a horrible crime, Bill wrestles with the extremely difficult decision of whether to turn Manny in to the police, and then has to learn to live with the consequences. Bill tells the story himself – as a simple line drawing. We see Bill's "face" and illustrations of scenes from Bill and Manny's past as a series of animated drawings. This film deals with important issues of veterans' care, racism and the workings of our criminal justice system, but its messages are obscured by the single point-of-view storytelling and the creative but distracting choice to tell the entire story through animation. "B-"

If you like true stories told very well, but briefly, and you'd like to get a leg up in an Oscar pool, then this review is for you! In my continuing effort to see as many Oscar nominees as possible, I took advantage of the opportunity to see the shorts.TV theatrical presentation "Oscar Nominated Short Films 2016: Documentary" (NR, 3:00 – with 10 min. intermission). Here's a brief, spoiler-free summary and evaluation of one of those five films...

The other four films in the shorts.TV theatrical presentation "Oscar Nominated Short Films 2016: Documentary" are… "Body Team 12" "Chau, beyond the Lines" "Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah" "A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness" We have posted our articles about each of those other films on their respective pages on this website.

Every single 2016 Documentary short nominee was worthy. After much deliberation, I picked this one as my winner. Every cop, brother, soldier, mother, sister, wife, victim and human being will feel it. It may even change your mind about the death penalty and would serve as a good spring board to the discussion. Gut wrenching, it could happen to you, everyman story. Warning-there was not a dry eye in the theater, not one. Extra points for the clean, effective animation, a style of which I am usually not a fan, but it won me over. I especially thank Mr. Bill Babbitt for his honesty, bravery and vulnerability as he helps us remember the real Manny. I will carry his story in my heart. Thank you.