Highlights of the live-action shorts include the beautifully direct performances by Somali refugees in "Asad," a contemporary story (with folkloric undertones) of a boy who wants to be a pirate; the del Toro–esque fantasy setting of "Death of a Shadow"; the blend of dark comedy and gritty drama in the New York story of a little girl and her black-sheep uncle, "Curfew"; and the warmth of memory giving way to cold reality for an elderly man in "Henry." The weakest is "Buzkashi Boys," a tale of boyhood dreams meeting family duty, shot in Kabul. Its overblown style makes it feel contrived. The roster of animated shorts is strong as well. The charming "Paperman" depicts a romantic pursuit waged with paper airplanes. "Adam and Dog," droll character animation over gorgeous backgrounds, tells a story left out of Genesis. "Head over Heels" uses clay animation in a metaphor about a marriage in trouble. "Fresh Guacamole" is a funny burst of stop-motion surrealism.
