Riz Ahmed Is Now An Oscar Winner, And You Can Watch The Movie Right Now
Yes, folks. Riz Ahmed ("Sound of Metal," "Venom") is now an Oscar winner, and not many know about it (at least not in the way you would think). Ahmed's second studio album, "The Long Goodbye," inspired the short that just won an Oscar in the Short Film (Live Action) category, and honestly, the win is extremely well-deserved.
Directed by Aneil Karia, "The Long Goodbye" delves into the UK's historical and contemporary relationship with South Asians/British Asians, framed from the point of view of the extended metaphor of an "abusive romantic relationship" in the wake of BREXIT and the rise of the far-right in Britain.
Check out the heartbreakingly harrowing, hard-hitting live-action short in its entirety below.
'And my ancestor's Indian, but India was not for us'
Ahmed's Oscar win is nothing short of historic, as he is the first Muslim to win an Oscar in this category (via Variety). Ahmed was also nominated for Best Actor for his performance in "Sound of Metal," though the award was ultimately won by Anthony Hopkins for "The Father." Unfortunately, the Short Film (Live Action) category was one of several awards not given much time to shine during the Oscars ceremony.
"The Long Goodbye" clocks in just under 12 minutes, and it chronicles the anxieties and atrocities that a British Asian household undergoes after they are surrounded by a far-right march, whose members force their way in and shoot some of the family members in cold blood. The short opens with the family taking part in the pre-wedding rite of mehendi, which involves close-knit family members getting together to apply henna on the would-be bride's hands, as a mark of auspiciousness.
However, this jovial mood is punctured with chilling violence, and the film features music from Ahmed's eponymous album, closing out with a heart-wrenching poem about violence, persecution, and what it means to live with a contrapuntal identity. Ahmed's searing monologue at the end elevates the short in many ways, as it highlights the daily instances of discrimination experienced by members of marginalized communities. Ahmed and Karia found the production process therapeutic, as they had to deal with the "daunting tonal shifts" that were inherent within the experience as a whole (via The Hollywood Reporter).
"The Long Goodbye" also won Best British Short at the British Independent Film Awards, as well as high-profile trophies from Palm Springs International Shorts Fest and London Critics. "The Long Goodbye" was nominated in the Best Short (Live Action) category alongside "On My Mind," "Please Hold," "Ala Kachuu – Take and Run," and "The Dress."