9 FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILMS ADVANCE IN THE OSCAR® RACE 2019
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This week, the Academy preselected nine foreign films in competition, before they announce the five nominees next month. The nine films give more diversity to the foreign language competition this year. The usual contenders from Europe are facing fierce competition from Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia.
Two of those Oscar-worthy movies are big surprises, Colombia and Kazakhstan. Only two films are part of the frequently nominated countries: Denmark and Germany.
Lebanon gets its second nomination in the row. Poland and South Korea are also strong contenders as well. The winner of the Palme d'Or in Cannes will face off Vs. the winner of the Golden Lion in Venice - Shoplifters from Japan Vs. Roma from Mexico.
The significant absentees this year are Italy, France, Spain, and Sweden. Their projects didn't have enough stamina to go farther and reach one of the nine semifinalists spots.
9 FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILMS ADVANCE IN THE OSCAR® RACE 2019
www.FestivalinLA.com
Nine films will advance to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 91st Academy Awards. Colombia, “Birds of Passage” Denmark, “The Guilty” Germany, “Never Look Away” Japan, “Shoplifters” Kazakhstan, “Ayka” Lebanon, “Capernaum” Mexico, “Roma” Poland, “Cold War” South Korea, “Burning.”
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 22, 2019.
The 91st Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscars will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
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AFI FEST movie review: A hyper-realistic Japanese masterpiece that tugs at your heart endlessly. Unforgettable!
This year’s Palme d’Or winner, “Shoplifters” (2018) by Hirokazu Koreeda (“Nobody Knows,” “Like Father, Like Son”), is a transcendent morality-crime drama that places family bonds at its center.
“Shoplifters” connects to other notable classic works on similar themes, such as the Italian Neo-Realist film “Bicycle Thieves/Ladri di Biciclette” (1948) by Vittorio De Sica. Robert Bresson’s French New Wave film“Pickpocket” (1951) is another example. More recently, the Mexican horror film “Somos lo que hay/We Are What We Are” (2010), by Jorge Michel Grau, and the 2015 Argentine crime-family drama “The Clan,” by Pablo Trapero, also explore a similar theme of complicity in a family crime.
These powerful films depict a family of criminals working together toward a common goal: illegally obtaining goods they cannot afford because of their harsh living conditions.
Family ties and complicity drive their actions, and their methods are similar. They naively believe there is nothing wrong with their actions, even as their crimes include petty theft, kidnapping, and, in some cases, murder.
“Shoplifters” begins when a young man, in collusion with his father, enters a store to steal goods. Their plan relies on hand signals, body language, and a smooth escape.
Over dinner, the older, prettier “sister” complains that they forgot to steal the shampoo. The “grandmother” is an excellent cook and a clever deal-maker.
The “wife” is exhausted but still has enough energy to find out what’s happening to the little girl, the father, and their talented “son” found in a cold alley.
They want to do the right thing and take the little girl to her proper parents. Soon, they realize the girl has bruises from domestic violence. Without understanding the legal consequences, they bring her home, change her appearance, and treat her as their “daughter.”
“Shoplifters” achieves universality by depicting a working-class family struggling to meet their financial goals through part-time jobs. As a result, they steal goods they cannot afford to survive. But we must remember, “two wrongs don’t make a right.”
The controversy centers on Japanese morality and the image Japan projects to the world as a developed nation, while some of its people still endure hardship, isolation, and poverty.
“Shoplifters” is a remarkable work of art, featuring compelling performances, sharp cinematography, a well-structured script that thoroughly details each character’s background, and a convincing ending. The film’s skillful editing moves the story along quickly.
Venerable actress Kirin Kiki (“After the Storm,” “Still Walking,” “Kamikaze Girls”) delivers a wonderful performance as the grandmother. Sadly, she passed away from cancer three months after returning from Cannes 2018.
Actor Lily Franky (“Scoop!,” “Blank 13,” “Like Father, Like Son”) plays the family patriarch, Osamu Shibata, who naively teaches his children to steal. Actress Sakura Andó (“Love Exposure,” “100 Yen Love,” “0.5 Mn”) passionately portrays the mother, Nobuyo Shibata, completing the impressive cast.
Hirokazu Kore-eda’s latest film explores the truth about family lessons, questioning who is truly the right person for another. What makes a parent?
The one who gives birth, or, ironically, the one who raises the children.
“Shoplifters” depicts a cold world where everyone is searching for love. However, the unconventional actions that drive them apart cast doubt on the family’s love.
Hirokazu Koreeda, director. Film critic José Alberto Hermosillo
The film’s harsh reality is underscored by the characters’ wrongdoings, betrayals, and illicit affairs, which call into question loyalty, love, and self-respect in a desolate, dark universe.
“Shoplifters” is the Japanese Official Entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards and, without a doubt, is a strong contender for an Oscar nomination this year.
“Shoplifters” is amusing, unforgettable, and heartbreaking. For some audiences, it is hard to connect with the actions and relationships of every character because the story’s emotions are cryptic, opaque, and complex at the same time.
This year, eighty-seven countries submitted entries for Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards, four less than in the last installment. Sixteen of those works are from Ibero-America. For decades, European films had hegemony in this category, until Chile won last year. Now "Roma," the acclaimed feature from Mexico aims to score another victory of a Latin country two years in-a-row. Once again, Europeans and Latinos will face-off, asin a soccer match but now in a new rivalry, cinema. Wait, do not count out the Asian countries, Japan's Palme d’Or winner “Shoplifters” is expected to be nominated as well.
Some of the European nations are taking a further step presenting a movie made by a previous Oscar® winner like Germany's “Never Look Back” by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, who won with “The Life of Others” in 2007. László Nemes won with “Son of Saul” - now his latest work “Sunset” represents Hungary. Poland submitted “Cold War” by Pawel Pawlikowski, who won in 2013 for “Ida.”
Besides Germany, Hungary, and Poland other strong contenders want to take the gold. Among those is Belgium’s dancer trans-venture film “Girl,” the Israeli gay drama “The Cakemaker,” and the brutal flick from Italy “Dogman.” All of those films have possibilities to reach for an Oscar® nomination.
Sweden is sending the controversial award-winner trolls-movie“Border.” Turkey sent a beautiful work, “The Wild Pear Tree.” South Korea is making noise with “Burning.” Norway's “What People Say” brings more diversity to the contest. Kenya’s “Supa Mondo” is about empowering women in Africa. The representative of Indonesia also empowers women in Asia “Marlina Murderer in Four Acts.”
The Latino submissions are at boiling point. Cuba gets disqualified, Honduras is a no-show, everybody loves Colombia. Argentina and Uruguay look very strong. Spain aims straight to the voters’ hearts. Panama has its musical tradition. Ecuador's beautiful sceneries are beyond expectations. The entry from Peru is gorgeous, visually speaking, and Mexico has the opportunity to win its first Oscar®.
The experts predict besides the nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, Mexico is going to be nominated for best director, cinematography, and original screenplay, and “Roma” is going to be the first movie entirely spoken in Spanish to be nominated for best picture in Oscar® history.
One year after the winning of the plausible transgender film “A Fantastic Woman” from Chile, another Latino film has the possibilities to win,“Roma” from Mexico. The Aztec country has never won an Oscar® in this category regardless of its eight nominations.
Sergio and Sergei, Cuba, disqualified from the Oscars®
In the case of “Sergio and Sergei” from Cuba, the official details of its disqualification are unknown.
Usually, there are four circumstances: one, the film was not shown in Cuban movie theaters before the due date. Two, the percentage of the English spoken in the film is greater than the amount allowed. Three, the producers, filmmakers, and talent are from other nationalities other than the represented country. Fourth, the Academy did not receive the film before the due date.
“Black Orpheus” is a clear example of how the rules work. The story and talent were Brazilian, but the production was French. The Oscar® went to France.
In the “Pan’s Labyrinth” case, the production and the filmmakers were Mexicans. The story, actors, and settings were Spaniard, that’s why Guillermo del Toro was able to represent Mexico in 2007 with his beautiful masterpiece and not Spain. The fairy tale got a total of six Oscar nominations, winning three: best makeup, cinematography, and set design.
The films from Ibero-America are making big waves in the international arena. Those projects have won many awards in Berlin, Cannes, San Sebastian, and Venice.
After the projects' success in a film festival, the cavalry of a foreign movie starts when is trying to get to its audience in the United States, we are talking about distribution. The biggest task for film-lovers is also to find out where the movie is playing. They have to hunt those movies at the film festival or special screenings because it is going to take a while to search for those beautiful Latino movies at the movie theaters or online.
The Latino Entries to the 91st Academy Awards are:
Argentina “El Ángel” Luis Ortega, director
Bolivia, “The Goalkeeper/ Muralla.” Rodrigo Patiño, director.
Brazil “The Great Mystical Circus” Carlos Diegues, director.
Chile “And Suddenly the Dawn/ Y depronto el amanecer.” Silvio Caiozzi, director.
Colombia “Birds of Passage/ Pájaros de Verano” Cristina Gallego, Ciro Guerra, directors.
Costa Rica “Medea” Alexandra Latishev, director.
Dominican Republic “Cocote” Nelson Carlo De Los Santos Arias, director.
Ecuador “A Son of Man” Directors: Jamaicanoproblem and Pablo Agüero,
Mexico “Roma” Alfonso Cuarón, director
Panama “Ruben Blades Is Not My Name/ Yo no me llamo Rubén Blades.” Abner Benaim, director
Paraguay “The Heiresses/ Las herederas.” Marcelo Martinessi, director.
Peru “Eternity/ Wiñaypacha.” Oscar Catacora, director
Portugal “Pilgrimage” Joäo Botelho, director.
Spain “Champions/ Campeones” Javier Fesser, director.
Uruguay “Twelve-Year Night/ La noche de los 12 años.” Álvaro Brechner, director. The film chronicles the life in prison of the beloved former president José Mujica.
Venezuela “The Family/ La familia.” Gustavo Rondón Córdova, director.
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 22, 2019. The ceremony for the 91st Oscars® is on Sunday, February 24, 2019, Dolby Theater in Hollywood.
