Broken

Running time: N/A

The title of this series is taken from the English translation of the Czech word Okenka, an apt description of film's improbable task to capture the scope of human emotion and experience. The movie screen gives just a portion, a peek through a window at what people have experienced in reality. And still, we gladly watch. Some of the beautiful emotional landscapes in this shorts series include the tale of World War II death camp escapees colliding with scattered German troops; a stop motion animation trip through a movie goer's mind as various distractions in the theater keep him from enjoying King Kong's stroll through the city; a ride-along with a small town New Jersey cop as he struggles to keep his professionalism from breaking his links to the people he knows; and a bittersweet look at pre-adolescence, popularity, and school. A superbly crafted mix of hauntingly beautiful films from around the globe. Reviewed by Bill Maxey