Shorts 1 Anna 2019

Reviewed by Christian Waters at AFI 2019.

Anna is the story of a middle aged woman working in a meat packing plant in Eastern Ukraine. She is a single mother of a 16 year old girl and longs for a better life. The stark reality of a war ridden Ukraine hits you like a ton of bricks. The depression of this woman reaches out to you from your seat.

Lurered by a radio ad to go to a dance attended by foreign men looking for love, starts Anna off on journey not soon to be forgotten. Dekel Berenson directs this film. His film ASHMINA won several prizes, including the Best Short Film award at the 59th Krakow Film Festival, which qualified the film to compete for an Oscar. The lighting combined with set design really accentuate the hard life of Anna. There is good use of story line and even crack of humor mixed in. I would recommend this short film and keep an eye it’s director.