A Twitch-streaming grandmother is at the center of Emily Sheskin’s heartwarming film Livestreams with GrandmaPuzzles, which is set to screen at this year’s Cleveland International Film Festival. This touching documentary short follows Adele Tiffith, affectionately known by her followers as “Gma”, as it explores her journey from isolated jigsaw puzzler to three-time BIPOC Streamer Award-winner.
A sign of a great documentary is one that is engrossing despite any disinterest in the subject matter – and Livestreams with GrandmaPuzzles is certainly that. Having not completed a single jigsaw since my early school days, and never watched Twitch in all my life, I was surprised by how delightfully absorbing I found Adele’s story to be. This is undeniably helped by Sheskin’s phenomenal prowess as a storyteller, who compacts the film into a concise but impactful six minutes, combined with a strong visual style with popping pastel colors.
As well as the wonderful cinematography, the film is also accompanied by a simple but uplifting score by composer Pietro Milanesi. But, of course, the success of a documentary like this would not be possible without an engaging and loveable personality at the heart of it, and Adele unquestionably ticks all the boxes. Her story isn’t without sadness, but she possesses a natural charm and an irresistible bubbly energy that melts the heart as soon as she appears on screen.
Livestreams with GrandmaPuzzles is a beautifully put together documentary exploring themes of loneliness, gaming and acceptance. There is a growing scrutiny on internet culture and its negative impacts, so it’s refreshing to see a narrative that shows the good side of online communities and how they can form healthy human connections. This is not to miss.
Brian Cotter
