What’s more powerful: words or actions? Usually it’s the latter, yet in the case of Aneil Karia and Riz Ahmed’s brilliant and sobering short film, the former shines ever brighter and clearer. The Long Goodbye is a personal statement from the two above-mentioned entertainers, and an incredibly pointed narrative.
Just a mere 11 minutes, and you are thrust into a world of experiences that many social groups have had to endure for generations. To say this is powerful doesn’t give it enough weight. But simply, it does the job because it is true.
Karia uses sharp visuals – mostly editing and natural light – to convey an accurate portrayal that, like its characters, has nothing to hide behind. While this is scripted, it’s entirely honest, and the finale hurts because the pain (physical, mental, emotional, even social) is happening in real-time. And when Riz rises to shine, he just explodes.
People use trauma and experiences to grow, and while this is, again, a personal statement, there’s something bigger at hand: change. It’s easy to imagine these words breaking down bricks in a mental wall, and so much so that we’re all looking to the point where we can finally move past this kind of injustice, intolerance and even ignorance.
On the February 8th, 2022, it was announced by the Academy that this short – directed/co-written by Aneil Karia, and co-written/starring Riz Ahmed – was nominated for an Academy Award. We were happy to have a talk with Karia about his journey. Yet before getting to the audio below, please watch the film before you do anything else – it’s embedded below. This is some of the best cinema you’ll ever see with a message as large as the creators’ hearts.
And for those you you who’ve been moved by the words and pictures, please enjoy our time with Aneil. Just one thing to note, I had to record this outdoors and the sound was less than helpful on my end, but it didn’t affect any of Aneil’s responses. Enjoy, and we hope to see him and Riz walk the stage at the Academy Awards next month!
In the film, Riz and his family are in the middle of preparing a wedding celebration when the events unfolding in the outside world arrive suddenly on their doorstep. The result is a visceral feat of filmmaking, and a poignant poetic cry from the heart.
Aneil Karia’s THE LONG GOODBYE takes us on a journey that is both intimate and devastating. The 11-minute short film is an unflinching look at what may lie ahead for us in these increasingly intolerant times, and what is unfolding for minorities as we speak in many countries around the world.
The Academy Awards will be held in Los Angeles on March 27th.
