You might recall my woefully off-base assumption that the sublime “The Conscience of Nhem En” was all set to win the Oscar last year for Best Documentary Short. Well, I was wrong, but at least I wasn’t wrong with a crowd (most people were predicting “The Witness from the Balcony of Room 306”).
Anyway, we all probably should have seen the eventual winner coming, given all the press and hoopla surrounding “Smile Pinki” on the way to last February’s Oscarcast. If you never had a chance to see the film, now’s your chance. “Smile Pinki” will premiere Wednesday, June 3 on HBO at 7:00pm EST. Have a few tissues handy. Here’s a great shot of the film’s subject, Pinki Sonkar, with filmmaker Megan Mylan at the Oscars this year: