Perfectly a Strangeness
Perfectly a Strangeness is a 2024 documentary short film written and directed by Alison McAlpine. It was largely filmed at La Silla Observatory, a European Southern Observatory site in Chile, with some shots filmed further north at ESO's Paranal Observatory.
The short had its world premiere at the Short Films Competition of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Short Film Palme d'Or. At the 98th Academy Awards, it was nominated for Best Documentary Short Film.Summary
The Cannes Film Festival summary says: "In the dazzling incandescence of an unknown desert, three donkeys discover an abandoned astronomical observatory and the universe. A sensorial, cinematic exploration of what a story can be."Release
The film premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, and had its North American Premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. It has since travelled to over 70 international film festivals, playing in 27 countries and winning 19 awards. “One of the most cinematic documentaries of the year”, according to Deadline Hollywood writer Matthew Carey, Perfectly a Strangeness was nominated by Cinema Eye Honors for Best Nonfiction Short Film of 2026, and nominated by the 2026 Academy Awards for Best Short Documentary Film.Awards and nominations