How Do You Measure a Year?

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.

How Do You Measure a Year?
Official poster
Directed byJay Rosenblatt
Produced byJay Rosenblatt
Starring
  • Ella Rosenblatt
Cinematography
  • Thomas Logoreci
  • Jay Rosenblatt
Edited byJay Rosenblatt
Distributed bySubmarine
Release date
  • 13 August 2021 (2021-08-13) (Locarno)
Running time
29 minutes
Country
  • United States
LanguageEnglish

Summary

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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

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  • Ella Rosenblatt
  • Jay Rosenblatt

Release

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The film had its world premiere on August 13, 2021 at the 74th Locarno Film Festival.[1] 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.[2]

Reception

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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."[3]

Accolades

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It was selected for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film and subsequently shortlisted[4][5] and nominated for the 95th Academy Awards in said category.[6][7]

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
It's All True – International Documentary Film Festival 10 April 2022 Best Documentary in the International Competition: Short Films How Do You Measure a Year? Won [8]
Documenta Madrid 2022 7 May 2022 Audience Award Won [9]
Kraków Film Festival 11 June 2022 Golden Dragon for Best Short Film Won [10][2]
Academy Awards 12 March 2023 Best Documentary Short Film Nominated [7][11][12]

See also

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  • 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

References

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  1. ^ "How Do You Measure a Year?". Locarno Film Festival. August 13, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2023.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ a b Franklin, Anna (June 7, 2022). "FESTIVALS: FNE at Krakow FF 2022: Prize Winners". FilmNewEurope. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  3. ^ Esper, Chris (March 7, 2022). "How Do You Measure A Year?". Film Threat. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  4. ^ Giardina, Carolyn (December 21, 2022). "2023 Oscars: Shortlists for 95th Academy Awards Unveiled". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  5. ^ "95th Oscars Shortlists Announced for 10 Categories". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. December 21, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  6. ^ "2023 Oscars Nominations: See the Full List". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. January 27, 2023. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Lewis, Hilary (January 24, 2023). "Oscars: Full List of Nominations". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  8. ^ "Official Awards: Winners 2022". It‘s All True. April 10, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  9. ^ Brzeski, Patrick (April 29, 2022). "Documenta Madrid 2022 announces the films that will compete in its official sections". DocumentaMadrid. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  10. ^ "How Do You Measure A Year?, Golden Dragon for Best Short Film". 62nd KFF Films. June 11, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  11. ^ "The 95th Academy Awards | 2023 Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood, Sunday, March 12, 2023, Honoring movies released in 2022". Oscars. January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  12. ^ 'The Elephant Whisperers' Wins Best Documentary Short Film | 95th Oscars (2023)
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