A “future documentary” sounds like an oxymoron in terms.

I’m not talking about an upcoming documentary that will be made/released in the future. Rather, I’m referring to a documentary that feels like it’s from the future. 

Which is obviously impossible, unless it breaks news on the invention of time travel. 

But one of this year’s Oscar-nominated shorts, Perfectly A Strangeness, could be interpreted as a missive from ahead. We watch as three donkeys wander a vast desert drenched in post-apocalyptic vibes, until they come upon what looks like an abandoned astronomical observatory (shades of the three wise men’s camels following a star to discover Jesus). With no humans in sight, the technology left behind still self-operates, and we observe as the asses marvel at our mysterious relics, like the apes interacting with the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

And yet, despite Perfectly A Strangeness being my favorite of the five nominees, it’s the least likely to win. 

Why?

Because untraditional documentary filmmaking simply cannot match the sociopolitical #Importance of the other four’s subjects. 

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No spoilers, but a different nominee ends with the quote, “If every American could stand in these rooms, we’d be a different country.” 

I have my doubts.