Shorts Block: New York Times Op Docs

Continuing our beloved tradition of a dedicated shorts block featuring new and upcoming films from The New York Times’ Op-Docs desk, this year’s selection offers five singular stories that find humor, humanity, and unexpected drama in the lives of their subjects. A former Olympian wages an unconventional battle to preserve his unruly lawn, while musicians pursue the elusive perfection of pitch at a prestigious piano competition. Amid a national migration crisis, four young Cuban artists make the radical choice to stay. An aging community embarks on an eccentric quest for immortality, while in Sweden, a mother follows a trail of graffiti in hopes of finding her long-lost son. Together, these films celebrate idiosyncratic characters, unexpected passions, and the deeply human impulse to pursue what matters, no matter how improbable the journey. —Jessie Fairbanks

Films are in alphabetical order rather than order of play. Total runtime 86 min

The Ones Who Stay
Olivier Côté, Jean-François Bouchard (Canada, Cuba 2026, 22 min)
Amid a national migration crisis, four young Cuban artists go against the tide and choose to stay.

The Revolution Against Death
Joshua Oppenheimer (Denmark, Sweden 2026, 23 min)
Joshua Oppenheimer gazes into the world of an aging community and their eccentric efforts to achieve immortality.

Son
Leona Cauklija (Sweden 2026, 13 min)
A Swedish mother’s love knows no bounds, using graffiti to track down her long lost son.

The Tuners
Paweł Chorzępa (Poland 2026, 23 min)
Distinguished tuners work tirelessly to achieve perfect pitch for their instruments at a renowned piano competition.

A Wolf in the Suburbs
Amélie Hardy (Canada 2026, 18 min)
A Mississaugan man revives his former Olympian mindset in a fight to preserve his lawn’s overgrowth.
 

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