“Naming Prairie” is one of those films that’s tough to review because one gets the sense that what we’re seeing isn’t the whole film. Instead, director Alexandra Juhasz’ flung together mish-mash feels more like a sampler tape of a bigger project. The short takes an already controversial subject matter — a lesbian couple becoming parents — and piles an extra layer on top of it; in this case, the highly charged ritual of naming their baby in the Jewish tradition. Just tell me how the filmmakers hoped to cover all of that in seven short minutes. Impossible, of course, which is why “Naming Prairie” is as satisfying as getting one free sample bite of an ice cream store’s tasty new flavor. – Merle Bertrand
