In a blistering Oscar short film, Riz Ahmed finds catharsis

By JAKE COYLE
AP Film Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Of all the Oscar nominees, you would hard pressed to find a more potent film than “The Long Goodbye.” It’s blisteringly visceral, harrowingly violent and desperately urgent — all in under 12 minutes. “The Long Goodbye,” directed by Aneil Karia and starring Riz Ahmed, is nominated for best live-action short and stands a good chance to win at Sunday’s Academy Awards. To Ahmed, “The Long Goodbye,” which is streaming on YouTube, channels his own fears while drawing from current clashes for immigrants and migrants against rising swells of racism draped in nationalism.