List of submissions to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film

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Precious Doll
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Re: List of submissions to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film

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I think outside of Parasite & Pain and Glory it's very open this year.

What has made it harder is that the Berlin winner Snonyms wasn't selected by Israel (not that it would have made it anyway) and Venice awarded Joker.

Also, France had a number of possible candidates and only being able to submit one film per country can muddy the selections if only a couple of countries have any standout years. I really do think the remaining 8 will spring some surprises because aside from Parasite & P&G nothing really feels like its anywhere near being called a strong possibility.
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Re: List of submissions to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film

Post by mrhoyer »

I am making a conscious effort to see all those shortlisted this year and to get ahead of the curve as early as possible.

Already checked off

Parasite (South Korea)
Pain & Glory (Spain)
Monos (Colombia)
Joy (Austria)

From what I've gathered. The following have a certain amount of talk behind them. Who has seen any of the following? Which ones can I axe without seeing? Which big hitters am I missing?

Beanpole (Russia)
Gully Boy (India)
Queen of Hearts (Denmark)
Honeyland (North Macedonia)
Those Who Remained (Hungary)
Instinct (Netherlands)
Atlantics (Senegal)
Les Miserables (France)
And Then We Danced (Sweden)
Corpus Christi (Poland)


Side note just saw Portrait of a Lady on Fire and all I can say is Les Miserables better be INCREDIBLE.
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Re: List of submissions to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film

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Buoyancy, Australia (Rodd Rathjen) 8/10 - A fourteen-year-old Cambodian boy is duped into forced labor in a fishing boat under harsh and harrowing conditions. This is yet another dark, eye-opening coming-of-age film about humans being inhuman to fellow humans. I sometimes find it hard to believe these things still happen in the world, but, yet they do. Although this film does little more than straightforwardly tell you these bad things happen, it is still a very well-made at times even thrilling drama with very naturalistic performances. This is definitely worth a look. It's a Cambodia/Thai story but an Australian production.

Can it get in? It's not impossible. I can definitely see this landing on the top 5 of a few ballots.

I missed the screenings for the Ukraine entry (arrived too late) and the Swedish entry (no convenient schedule). There's another film festival next month with a few more entries being screened including the Brazilian one.
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Re: List of submissions to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film

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Beanpole, Russia (Kantemir Balagov) 8.5/10 - It is shortly after World War II. A young woman returns from the war to reunite with her three-year-old son left under the care of her friend but tragedy strikes. This is a remarkable film from an extraordinary (and very young) director. The film is a brutal meditation on loss and the consequences of war. Yes, it is a downer but it still lures you in and surprises you in ways you never expect. The ending, in particular, is quite moving. The performances of the two main actresses are extraordinary (it's a great year for actress outside the U.S.). It's a bit of a tough sit but I found the film ultimately quite rewarding (and low-key queer as well).

Can it get in? I would say yes. I think it can get in the Top 10 semi-finals but it's no lock for the three remaining spots.

The Whistlers, Romania (Corneliu Porumboiu) 7.5/10 - An undercover cop infiltrates a Spanish mob and in the process learns about a language based on whistling (hence the title). Apart from that unique whistling language angle, this film is pretty much a cool crime heist film. But it is an extremely well-crafted and entertaining heist film and very well-acted by its fine ensemble cast. It has a lot of twists and turns and they did manage to put a bit more depth into the characters. I've seen a number of Romanian films and this is probably the fastest pace one I've seen so far (heh). It's overall a solid film.

Can it get in? It's not impossible but it feels a bit lightweight and too genre-y compared to the heavy hitting competition.
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Re: List of submissions to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film

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System Crasher, Germany (Nora Fingscheidt) 7/10 - A ten-year-old girl with anger management problems (to put it mildly) pretty much brings the entire government foster and child care programs and system to their knees. At first, I was thinking this is an excellent film but it just went on and on and on and on. It began to feel rather repetitive and frustrating which was probably on purpose. But still, it is a rather draining film. It did, however, give me a lot of things to chew on. I appreciated the fact that the central character is tough to love but you still feel sympathy for her since a lot of it is not entirely her fault. Helene Zengel, the child actress who plays the titular role, is simply amazing, the best child performance of 2019.

Can it get in? I think this film would've had a much better chance in the old system/Academy. But as it is, I think it could sneak into the Top 10 as a surprise candidate.
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Re: List of submissions to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film

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When Tomatoes Met Wagner (Greece) 7/10

Its always a bit odd when countries submit documentaries in this category because its extremely difficult for the films, no matter the quality, to break through. And its not like Greece didn't have alternatives. In the last few days I have also seen Pause (Tonia Mishiali) & Her Job (Nikos Labot) from Greece and both a good solid dramas. Both films also owe something to both the New Greek Weird Wave as it is known but also to neo realism and both films are downers to a large degree.

However, having also now seen When Tomatoes Met Wagner, a 72 minute documentary about a village community, mainly made up of elderly women trying to survive austerity and revive their tiny village by marketing their organic tomato goods. The film is a small treasure and a joy to wait with charm to spare. Being a documentary it has little hope of gaining any traction but a nomination would be so nice.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (United Kingdom) 4/10

I saw this a couple of months ago on Netflix. Its the feature film directorial debut of Chiwetel Ejiofor and its one of those against all odds/triumph of the impossible type films that the world film industry has been churning out since nearly the beginning of cinema. Its totally serviceable undemanding stuff but is very generic and has nothing special to set it above its genre. However, as its very middle of the road stuff and the sort of film that the Academy sometimes embraces I wouldn't rule it out but frankly it doesn't deserve any consideration.
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Re: List of submissions to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film

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Joy, Austria (Subadeh Mortezai) 8/10 - Joy is a Nigerian illegal immigrant working as a sex worker in Austria and takes it upon herself to break in a reluctant newcomer to the game. Not to be confused by the Jennifer Lawrence movie of the same title, this is actually a very eye-opening look into a world we never see. It goes into some surprising (and sometimes troubling) directions and gives you a lot to chew on in terms of the plight of sex workers, illegal immigrants, asylum seekers and Nigerian women. The performances are wonderfully natural and the film almost has a documentary like feel. This is definitely one to watch.

Can it get in? It would be a bit of a long shot but I can see this possibly sneaking into at least the Top 10.
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Re: List of submissions to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film

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Inhuman Kiss, Thailand (Sitisiri Mongkolsir) 6/10 - This is a horror film from Thailand about a young man who falls in love with young woman who turns into "Krasue" at night, a creature that detaches itself from the body and flies around hunting flesh. It feels quite similar to the Philippines' manananggal and aswang that I almost felt like I was watching a Filipino horror flick. The film plays the entire thing straight and it is pretty cheesy but there are a few good moments and I, for one, am fascinated finding all about this legendary creature of both Thai and Cambodian folklore. It's not life-changing but it is entertaining for what it is.

Can it get in? No. I tried looking it up. The *only* straight up horror film to ever get a Best Foreign Language/International Feature Film nomination, at least as far as I can tell is Kwaidan. This film is an entertaining flick but I doubt it will stand much of a chance.
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Re: List of submissions to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film

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The official submission list:

Albania, “The Delegation,” Bujar Alimani, director;
Algeria, “Papicha,” Mounia Meddour, director;
Argentina, “Heroic Losers,” Sebastián Borensztein, director;
Armenia, “Lengthy Night,” Edgar Baghdasaryan, director;
Australia, “Buoyancy,” Rodd Rathjen, director;
Austria, “Joy,” Sudabeh Mortezai, director;
Bangladesh, “Alpha,” Nasiruddin Yousuff, director;
Belarus, “Debut,” Anastasiya Miroshnichenko, director;
Belgium, “Our Mothers,” César Díaz, director;
Bolivia, “I Miss You,” Rodrigo Bellott, director;
Bosnia and Herzegovina, “The Son,” Ines Tanovic, director;
Brazil, “Invisible Life,” Karim Aïnouz, director;
Bulgaria, “Ága,” Milko Lazarov, director;
Cambodia, “In the Life of Music,” Caylee So, Sok Visal, directors;
Canada, “Antigone,” Sophie Deraspe, director;
Chile, “Spider,” Andrés Wood, director;
China, “Ne Zha,” Yu Yang, director;
Colombia, “Monos,” Alejandro Landes, director;
Costa Rica, “The Awakening of the Ants,” Antonella Sudasassi Furniss, director;
Croatia, “Mali,” Antonio Nuic, director;
Cuba, “A Translator,” Rodrigo Barriuso, Sebastián Barriuso, directors;
Czech Republic, “The Painted Bird,” Václav Marhoul, director;
Denmark, “Queen of Hearts,” May el-Toukhy, director;
Dominican Republic, “The Projectionist,” José María Cabral, director;
Ecuador, “The Longest Night,” Gabriela Calvache, director;
Egypt, “Poisonous Roses,” Ahmed Fawzi Saleh, director;
Estonia, “Truth and Justice,” Tanel Toom, director;
Ethiopia, “Running against the Wind,” Jan Philipp Weyl, director;
Finland, “Stupid Young Heart,” Selma Vilhunen, director;
France, “Les Misérables,” Ladj Ly, director;
Georgia, “Shindisi,” Dimitri Tsintsadze, director;
Germany, “System Crasher,” Nora Fingscheidt, director;
Ghana, “Azali,” Kwabena Gyansah, director;
Greece, “When Tomatoes Met Wagner,” Marianna Economou, director;
Honduras, “Blood, Passion, and Coffee,” Carlos Membreño, director;
Hong Kong, “The White Storm 2 Drug Lords,” Herman Yau, director;
Hungary, “Those Who Remained,” Barnabás Tóth, director;
Iceland, “A White, White Day,” Hlynur Pálmason, director;
India, “Gully Boy,” Zoya Akhtar, director;
Indonesia, “Memories of My Body,” Garin Nugroho, director;
Iran, “Finding Farideh,” Azadeh Moussavi, Kourosh Ataee, directors;
Ireland, “Gaza,” Garry Keane, Andrew McConnell, directors;
Israel, “Incitement,” Yaron Zilberman, director;
Italy, “The Traitor,” Marco Bellocchio, director;
Japan, “Weathering with You,” Makoto Shinkai, director;
Kazakhstan, “Kazakh Khanate. The Golden Throne,” Rustem Abdrashov, director;
Kenya, “Subira,” Ravneet Singh (Sippy) Chadha, director;
Kosovo, “Zana,” Antoneta Kastrati, director;
Kyrgyzstan, “Aurora,” Bekzat Pirmatov, director;
Latvia, “The Mover,” Davis Simanis, director;
Lebanon, “1982,” Oualid Mouaness, director;
Lithuania, “Bridges of Time,” Audrius Stonys, Kristine Briede, directors;
Luxembourg, “Tel Aviv on Fire,” Sameh Zoabi, director;
Malaysia, “M for Malaysia,” Dian Lee, Ineza Roussille, directors;
Mexico, “The Chambermaid,” Lila Avilés, director;
Mongolia, “The Steed,” Erdenebileg Ganbold, director;
Montenegro, “Neverending Past,” Andro Martinović, director;
Morocco, “Adam,” Maryam Touzani, director;
Nepal, “Bulbul,” Binod Paudel, director;
Netherlands, “Instinct,” Halina Reijn, director;
Nigeria, “Lionheart,” Genevieve Nnaji, director;
North Macedonia, “Honeyland,” Ljubo Stefanov, Tamara Kotevska, directors;
Norway, “Out Stealing Horses,” Hans Petter Moland, director;
Pakistan, “Laal Kabootar,” Kamal Khan, director;
Palestine, “It Must Be Heaven,” Elia Suleiman, director;
Panama, “Everybody Changes,” Arturo Montenegro, director;
Peru, “Retablo,” Alvaro Delgado Aparicio, director;
Philippines, “Verdict,” Raymund Ribay Gutierrez, director;
Poland, “Corpus Christi,” Jan Komasa, director;
Portugal, “The Domain,” Tiago Guedes, director;
Romania, “The Whistlers,” Corneliu Porumboiu, director;
Russia, “Beanpole,” Kantemir Balagov, director;
Saudi Arabia, “The Perfect Candidate,” Haifaa Al Mansour, director;
Senegal, “Atlantics,” Mati Diop, director;
Serbia, “King Petar the First,” Petar Ristovski, director;
Singapore, “A Land Imagined,” Yeo Siew Hua, director;
Slovakia, “Let There Be Light,” Marko Skop, director;
Slovenia, “History of Love,” Sonja Prosenc, director;
South Africa, “Knuckle City,” Jahmil X.T. Qubeka, director;
South Korea, “Parasite,” Bong Joon Ho, director;
Spain, “Pain and Glory,” Pedro Almodóvar, director;
Sweden, “And Then We Danced,” Levan Akin, director;
Switzerland, “Wolkenbruch’s Wondrous Journey into the Arms of a Shiksa,” Michael Steiner, director;
Taiwan, “Dear Ex,” Mag Hsu, Chih-Yen Hsu, directors;
Thailand, “Krasue: Inhuman Kiss,” Sitisiri Mongkolsiri, director;
Tunisia, “Dear Son,” Mohamed Ben Attia, director;
Turkey, “Commitment Asli,” Semih Kaplanoglu, director;
Ukraine, “Homeward,” Nariman Aliev, director;
United Kingdom, “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind,” Chiwetel Ejiofor, director;
Uruguay, “The Moneychanger,” Federico Veiroj, director;
Uzbekistan, “Hot Bread,” Umid Khamdamov, director;
Venezuela, “Being Impossible,” Patricia Ortega, director;
Vietnam, “Furie,” Le Van Kiet, director.
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Re: List of submissions to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film

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Furie, Vietnam (Lê Văn Kiệt) 7/10 - When a woman's young daughter is kidnapped by a child trafficking syndicate, she stops at nothing to bring her back which means of course kicking ass and taking names. This is an action film from Vietnam (yes, it is) and it's pretty much Taken meets The Raid: Redemption with a female lead. It's pretty much pure formula for an action picture but very entertaining. Veronica Ngo, in the lead role, is quite excellent and is pretty bad ass in her action scenes. It's apparently the highest grossing Vietnamese film in Vietnam. It's currently streaming on Netflix and you could do worse that check this out.

Can it get in? No. It's very much an action movie and though very entertaining, there's nothing in it that would suggest it will win votes.
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Re: List of submissions to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film

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Buoyancy (Australia) 5/10

This drama of slave labour set the fishing industry of South East Asia takes sometime to really get into. Certainly as it progresses it becomes more powerful but the end title card about slave labour is the most disturbing moment in the film. Its certainly very well meaning and it could be a player.
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Re: List of submissions to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film

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Dear Ex, Taiwan (Mag Hsu/Hsu Chih-yen) 6/10 - After her ex-husband dies, a woman is livid to learn that his life insurance money was left to his gay lover rather than their teenage son. Complications ensue. This film does want to be a lot of things all at once. It starts out as a wacky comedy then it evolves into a drama about family, loss, grief, coming out, love, parents and children, so many things. So much so that I think it bit off more than it could chew. There are some great moments here (thanks to the great performances of the two leads, the gay lover and the ex-wife of the deceased) and there but in their wanting to be about so many things, they dropped the ball on some of them. The arc of the teenage son in particular, I don't think was handled as well as it could have been.

Can it get in? Highly doubtful. It feels too lightweight. It will easily get lost in the shuffle.
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Re: List of submissions to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film

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Russia is submitting Kantemir Balagov's Beanpole. This got great reviews out of Cannes and won Balagov (who seems to be on the verge of a major career) a directing award in Un Certain Regard. Guy Lodge is a huge fan but said on Twitter that it probably would need help from the committee to even make the first cut.
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Re: List of submissions to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film

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A Land Imagined, Singapore (Yeo Siew Hua) 6.5/10 - A cop in Singapore investigates a mysterious disappearance of a Chinese construction worker. This film as it turns out is Singapore's entry to this year's Best International Feature Film race. It is a beautifully shot mystery/neo-noir that really captures that neo-noir feel. I have to admit that I'm not so sure I particularly liked where it headed though. Perhaps there's a Singaporean/Chinese cultural or historical subtext that I needed to know to fully appreciate this film and/or to completely get the ending. I do respect its narrative choices highly and it's still remarkably crafted piece of work. It's on Netflix.

Can it get in? Highly doubtful. I think AMPAS members may be lured in by its neo-noir look and feel but like me, will not know what to do with the ending. I don't see this landing as a top five in a lot of ballots.
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Re: List of submissions to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film

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A White, White Day (Iceland) 4/10

A sombre, beautifully directed and shot but ultimately alienating affair thats akin to watching something through a thick haze. The story basically involves a man who becomes obsessed that his recently deceased wife was having an affair and the film get grimmer and more relentless to little effect as it progresses to its rather vague ending.

It was very well received at Cannes so though I was found it rather underwhelming its very much the sort of film that could sneak into this category. And the irony if it does when some far more worthy films from Iceland in recent years such as Rams & Woman at War filed.
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