Check out Jonas Cuaron's Gravity tie-in short Aningaaq; Warner Bros. to submit for Oscar consideration

Check out Jonas Cuaron’s Gravity tie-in short Aningaaq; Warner Bros. to submit for Oscar consideration

November 20th 2013, 1:35pm

Minor Spoilers for those that haven't seen GRAVITY.

The elusive short, ANINGAAQ, which is tied to Alfonso Cuaron's GRAVITY has made its way online and serves as a unique companion piece to the film, highlighting the opposite side of the conversation that Sandra Bullock's character has while on a Russian spacecraft. As Bullock's Dr. Ryan Stone falls into her darkest hour and all hope seems lost, she finds peace while talking to a stranger on the radio.

"It's this moment where the audience and the character get this hope that Ryan is finally going to be OK. Then you realize that everything gets lost in translation," says Jonas Cuaron, who directed the piece (and co-wrote GRAVITY with his father).

Take a look:

From THR:

The short was filmed "guerrilla style" on location on a budget of about $100,000 — most of which went toward the 10-person crew's travel costs — and Cuaron completed it in time to meld the dialogue into Gravity's final sound mix. The result is a seamless conversation between Aningaaq and Ryan, stranded 200 miles above him, the twin stories of isolated human survival providing thematic cohesion. Still, Jonas says he was careful "to make it a piece that could stand on its own."

I don't know if ANINGAAQ is Oscar worthy, but I think it's a compelling and insightful addition to GRAVITY and provides another layer to the overall story. It's not like GRAVITY needs more of an emotional impact as it's already a masterful piece of cinema, but when it comes to peripheral add-ons to a film, ANINGAAQ is a really cool one.

GRAVITY is currently in theaters.