Image Credit: Netflix
With the Academy Awards being almost a month away, many of us are trying to watch as many nominated films as possible before Oscar Sunday. While 5 of Netflix’s 6 nominees have been available to watch on the platform for some time, the last nominee to be released to the world on the streamer is director/producer Sam A. Davis’ live action short film. singerPremieres today, February 13th, and will be shown to you just 18 minutes before the credits roll.
acquired by netflix less than a month ago After the film appeared in the Oscar shortlist, singer It features a rare and unusual collection of talent: from its main cast filled with first-time actors to viral internet videos to nearly 200-year-old Russian source material. Davis, the film’s producer, told Deadline that he felt “there was no denying that we were on to something special.”
Based on a 19th-century short story by Russian novelist Ivan Turgenev, the story focuses on a down-and-out pub full of downtrodden patrons who unexpectedly connect through singing to decide who is the best singer that night.
Turgenev’s work has been largely modernized by its references, musical or otherwise, but this story is as old as time. Men, young and old, sat together in the dim light filled with smoke, filled with despair; Each taking a step forward with each bottle that hits their lips. Men who used to be something at their peak or have been cut down are now barely hanging on to what’s left. But on any given night, that hideous exterior could give way to something beautiful; A few fleeting moments of spontaneity, joy and freedom inspired by song and soul.
singer It has won 35 awards at 49 film festivals on the way to Oscar Sunday. Cynics will claim its success stems from familiar songs like “House of the Rising Sun” and “Unchained Melody” and its combination of viral sensations and reality show stars, but its resonance lies in its humanity; The soul heard the call and put the pain aside. This is the guy with the tube in his nose who still smokes and wants to do one last performance. This is a bartender who has stepped forward to address his own demons after helping people keep their demons at bay for so long, or as director Davis puts it: “A love letter to the underdogs and the diamonds in the rough.”
While it may not be the frontrunner in the current race to win, it would be fitting for a story like this to draw a troubled person and give a voice in the darkness a place in the sunlight.
Watch singer if you want
- straight story
- sang the song blue
- Sing Street
- nai nai and wai po
- sentence expiration
singers mvp
Director Sam A. Davis
While classic sing-along tracks and viral singers from “The Voice” and “America’s Got Talent” may attract more attention singerThe credit for its success goes to director/producer/cinematographer/editor Sam A. Davis.
This multi-talented maestro has been a vital asset to the success of many short films in recent memory; From his on-camera and behind-the-scenes contributions to Shawn Wang’s Oscar-nominated short Nai Nai and Wai Po to his multi-location collaboration on the Oscar-winning documentary Short Term. End of sentence.
Now in the director’s chair, Davis has assembled some impressive talent to bring his vision of Turgenev’s work to life. The selection of impressive vocal talent with unparalleled difficulty in their backgrounds and the effective use of live recording on set brings a level of authenticity to a story that would fail without it. His own 35mm cinematography brings warmth and depth to a setting that has to be enlivened by its dusty, humble appearance. And of course, it is his own recognition of what Turgenev’s story means in modern terms that brings these former elements in the first place.
Inspired by a nearly 200 year old story, singer It reflects the eternal intersection of the power of song and our desire to be seen and heard. Come for the iconic tunes, stay for the pathos and vulnerability.