HOW DO YOU MEASURE A YEAR, created by Jay Rosenblatt, is lucky that its subject is so charismatic – the documentary short is comprised of seventeen birthday interviews of the creator’s daughter growing up. Although inherently gimmicky and no longer a wholly unique concept, HOW DO YOU MEASURE A YEAR works due to the natural quirks and emotions of aging, especially from two to eighteen.
There honestly isn’t much to say about the movie; it has emotional peaks, humorous moments, and heart, but, in the end, the subject doesn’t matter; it’s just cool that someone committed to the project. I love a good time-lapse, or looking up what celebrities looked like “now” vs. “then,” and HOW DO YOU MEASURE A YEAR has about just as much substance. Sure, you’re reminded about the passage of time, but that’s kind of it. Again, it feels like a bit of a gimmick – it would make a great YouTube video, but it doesn’t stand out amongst the Oscar-nominated Documentary shorts.
HOW DO YOU MEASURE A YEAR is not currently streaming but is available to watch in select theaters as part of ShortsTV’s presentation of the Oscar-nominated Documentary Shorts.
