Foreign Language Submissions

[Cinemanolis]

Greece is sending "Dogtooth". I still can't believe that they did the right thing for one time. Usually the winner of the Thessaloniki film festival represents Greece at the Oscars. "Dogtooth" will participate in next year's festival (it takes place on November) so normally it wouldn't qualify. However considering how awful last year's winner was, they decided to get advantage of the strong reviews and Cannes prize of 'Dogtooth' and seek a placing in the top5 or at least top 9 of the Foreign Film category. I hear that it already has a U.S. distirbutor which i suppose helps a lot.



Edited By Cinemanolis on 1254523353

[ITALIANO]

Italy will send Baaria, Giuseppe Tornatore's big, long, costly "epic" about a Sicilian family, which is doing very well commercially here and will certainly do well abroad too, since it was obviously made with an eye to the international market.

Tornatore is a smart director, and sometimes a very good one. He certainly knows how to move the camera, and that, plus the money he could count on, makes for some undeniably impressive moments. But it takes more than that to make a true epic, and Baaria isn't Visconti's The Leopard or Bertolucci's 1900. It isn't even Tornatore's Cinema Paradiso which, while less huge in scope, sounded more honest, more deeply felt, and was more moving. (And this despite the fact the Baaria, the Sicilian name of Bagheria, the town where Tornatore was born, is obviously very autobiographical and full of personal memories).

Yet it certainly COULD get nominated. It's full of sun, arm waving Italians, spaghetti, passion (for love and politics), children, I mean all the things that foreigners like to find in Italian movies. It also features the real killing of a cow, a very violent scene which is making animal lovers very angry here in Italy and which Tornatore could legally shoot because the film was partly made in Tunisia where laws about abuse on animals are much less strict. This scene, I feel, will be cut in the print for the US, which is not the only reason why Americans will for once see a better movie. They will also ignore the countless distracting cameos by famous (here) Italian actors who play bit roles a la The Longest Day (the only ones they are likely to recognize are Monica Bellucci and Raoul Bova, and maybe Michele Placido). Yes, it'd definitely have good chances at the Oscars if it werent...

... about communists. It is about this young man's commitment to the communist party, so you get to see all those red flags on the background of the dry Sicilian landscape, which is all very photogenic. But, again, 1900 it isn't. The hero's passion for communism is pure but more a matter of blind love than really ideological, more a reaction to the dangerous power of the mafia than an intellectual system of values (though, of course, it IS true that in Sicily the only political party that actively fought the mafia was the communist one, which is also the reason why, in the Sicilian elections, it always lost). And the fact that the movie was partly produced by Silvio Berlusconi's production company and the Prime Minister himself took the time to praise it at length, well, it's only further proof that it's a VERY romantic, unthreatening version of communism you will see in this movie (if the Academy or Americans in general like it, then communism is really dead).

It's not a bad movie though. It has, as I said, some great moments and is generally well acted. By the end some might cry, even. And, well, let me say that the leading actor, Francesco Scianna, is VERY handsome, in a very Sicilian way.



Edited By ITALIANO on 1254246964

[Heksagon]

But Lebanon was attacked in the Arab press for once again being a self centered Israeli take on the war in which the enemy is dehumanized or being ignored at best,

It is perhaps useless to point out that in almost all war films, regardless of the country where they are made in, "enemy" is completely dehumanized.

There are not many exceptions to this rule. Even in Saving Private Ryan, Germans dies painlessly. In that movie, one German soldier is singled out, only so that he can be portrayed as a dishonest phony.



Edited By Heksagon on 1254072842

[Precious Doll]

I've only seen Mother (Joon-ho Bong) & About Elly (Asgar Farhadi) and can't see either of them making the cut which is a shame in the case of Mother which is one of the very best recent Korean films.

[rain Bard]

I have seen only one of these submissions, the Swiss entry from Ursula Meier, Home. I have trouble imaging five better films might be found among the submissions. I have even more trouble imagining the Academy going for such a dark contemporary fable.

[Uri]

Wushhh – there went the Oscar.

Ajami is this evening big winner – picture, direction, script, editing and score.

Lebanon took cinematography, art direction, sound and supporting actor.



Edited By Uri on 1253994771

[Uri]

A friend of mine -- with far left politics -- saw .ebanon yesterday (t's being shown at the NY Film Festival) and absolutely loved it. He described it as being like Sam Fuller at his nastiest.

Maybe, I haven't seen it yet – as is the case with a lot of high profile Israeli movies, we, the plebeians, are the last to have a chance to see them. But Lebanon was attacked in the Arab press for once again being a self centered Israeli take on the war in which the enemy is dehumanized or being ignored at best, a sentiment which was somehow echoed in some Israelis reviews. On the other hand, Ajami, which was made by two directors, a Jew and an Arab, is maybe the most authentic depiction of what being an Israeli Arab is like ever to be shown in a main stream Israeli film. So at least politically, Ajami has the edge. And it's helped by the fact that it is a kind of a groundbreaking piece cinematically too – the way its makers achieved a documentary like feel by working with non actors for months before letting them loose in front of the cameras without a written script is truly effective. The press here went completely gaga over it, totally avoiding some structural and thematic faults – it tends to be too melodramatic, the Jewish angel in it is extremely manipulative and so on. It will be interesting to see the outcomes tonight. (Unfortunately I will have to watch the Ophirs ceremony, which usually looks like a third world's high school take on the Oscars).



Edited By Uri on 1253980376

[Damien]

The Israeli entry will be revealed tonight, when the Ophirs are handed out. While Lebanon, the winner of the Golden Lion in Venice, is a contender, it's probably not the front runner. Of the City of God and Gomorra school, Ajami, a chronologically and narrative wise fractured depiction of tragic events in a predominantly Arabic community in Jaffa, featuring non actors, was welcome here by rhapsodic reviews (a very good film, but way over praised to my liking). On the other hand, Lebanon, which hasn't open here yet commercially, got mixed reviews when it was screened in the Jerusalem film festival. The liberal-leftist Israeli academy might favor the crisp political and social stand taken by Ajami over the apparently softer War-is-bad massage of Lebanon.

A friend of mine -- with far left politics -- saw .ebanon yesterday (t's being shown at the NY Film Festival) and absolutely loved it. He described it as being like Sam Fuller at his nastiest.

[Hustler]

Argentina-The Secret of her Eyes by Juan José Campanella (Remember? Son of the Bride´s director)

[anonymous1980]

I'm somewhat surprised the Philippines picked Ded Na Si Lolo. Cannes Film Festival Best Director winner Brillante Mendoza actually had a film called Lola ("Grandmother") in contention. I thought they would pick that because the prestige of his win could be used as free buzz/publicity.

[Uri]

The Israeli entry will be revealed tonight, when the Ophirs are handed out. While Lebanon, the winner of the Golden Lion in Venice, is a contender, it's probably not the front runner. Of the City of God and Gomorra school, Ajami, a chronologically and narrative wise fractured depiction of tragic events in a predominantly Arabic community in Jaffa, featuring non actors, was welcome here by rhapsodic reviews (a very good film, but way over praised to my liking). On the other hand, Lebanon, which hasn't open here yet commercially, got mixed reviews when it was screened in the Jerusalem film festival. The liberal-leftist Israeli academy might favor the crisp political and social stand taken by Ajami over the apparently softer War-is-bad massage of Lebanon. And then there's A Matter of Size, a crowd pleasing movie about a bunch of overweight guys who gain self respect by taking on sumo wresting, which is a big box office success here. The other two were not exposed to the public and seem not to be in the race.

Now, while Ajami may be the best Israeli movie of this year, Lebanon is definitely the better international awards magnet. And this race illustrates the problems of having the winner of best picture here automatically sent to the Oscars. On one hand there might be academy members who'll wrongly take the Oscar potential or lack of it into account when voting, on the other, too often Israel's entries are films which, while speaks volumes for Israelis, don't correspond that well with Hollywood tastes.



Edited By Uri on 1253949735

[Precious Doll]

These are the submission so far. I think the cut off date for submissions is sometime in October.

[Reza]

No submission from Spain?

[Precious Doll]

Here is a list of the foreign language submissions so far for next years Oscars:

Albania - Alive, directed by Artan Minarolli

Armenia - Autumn of the Magician, directed by Ruben & Vahe Gevorkyants

Austria - Ein Augenblick Freiheit (For a Moment, Freedom), directed by Arash T. Riahi

Belgium - The Misfortunates, directed by Felix Van Groeningen

Bolivia - Southern Zone, directed by Juan Carlos Valdivia

Brazil - Salve Geral, directed by Sergio Rezende

Bulgaria - The World is Big and Salvation Lurks Around the Corner, directed by Stephan Komandarev

Canada - I Killed My Mother, directed by Xavier Dolan

Chile - Dawson, Isla 10, directed by Miguel Littín

Croatia - Donkey, directed by Antonio Nuić

Denmark - Terribly Happy, directed by Henrik Rubin Genz

Finland - Postia Pappi Jaakobille (Letters to Father Jacob), directed by Klaus Haro

France - A Prophet, directed by Jacques Audiard

Germany - The White Ribbon, directed by Michael Haneke

Hong Kong - Prince of Tears, directed by Yonfan

Hungary - Kaméleon (Chameleon), directed by Kristzina Goda

Iceland - Reykjavik-Rotterdam, directed by Oskar Jonasson

India - Harishchandrachi Factory, directed by Paresh Mokashi

Iran - About Elly, directed by Asghar Farhadi

Japan - Dare Mo Mamotte Kurenai (Nobody To Watch Over Me), directed by Ryôichi Kimizuka

Kazakhstan - Kelin, directed by Ermek Tursunov

Luxembourg - Réfractaire, directed by Nicolas Steil

Lithuania - Duburys (Waterhole), directed by Gytis Luksas

Mexico - Backyard, directed by Carlos Carrera

Morocco - Casanegra, directed by Nour Eddine Lakhmari

The Netherlands - Wit Licht (Silent Army), directed by Jean van der Velde

Philippines - Ded Na Si Lolo (Grandfather is Dead), directed by Soxie Topacio

Poland - Rewers (The Reverse), directed by Borys Lankosz

Portugal - Um Amor de Perdição (Doomed Love), directed by Mário Barroso

Romania - Police, Adjective, directed by Corneliu Prumboiu

Serbia - St. George Shoots the Dragon, directed by Srdjan Dragojevic

Slovakia - Broken Promise, directed by Jirí Chlumský

Slovenia - Pokrajina St. 2 (Landscape No 2), directed by Vinko Moderndorfer

South Africa - White Wedding, directed by Jann Turner

South Korea - Mother, directed by Bong Jong-ho

Sri Lanka - Akasa Kusum (Flowers in the Sky), directed by Prasanna Vithanage

Sweden - De Ofrivilliga (Involuntary), directed by Ruben Ostlunds

Switzerland - Home, directed by Ursula Meier

Taiwan - No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti (I Can’t Live Without You), directed by Leon Dai

Thailand - Best In Time, directed by Youngyooth Thongkonthun

Turkey - I Saw the Sun, directed by Mahsun Kirmizigül

Venezula - Libertador Morales, El Justiciero, directed by Efterpi Charalambidis