Oscar's foreign film contenders 2004
Nathaniel R
Afghanistan to Estonia / Finland to Norway / Palestine to Venezuela /
US Box Office for Foreign / Tally of past Oscar successes
_Finland_ _to_ _Norway_
1 nomination
Producing Adults
Aleksi Salmenpera
4 nominations
A Touch of Spice
Tassos Boulmetis
8 noms / 1 win
Kontroll
Nimrod Antal
(Finnish)
starring
synopsis
a comedy about a psychologist and her boyfriend and their relationship troubles.
snubbed films
Koiran kynnen Leikkaaja from two-time submittee Markku Polonen, Jumalan Morsian, Beyond Enemy Lines a WW II drama about Sweden and Finnish forces fighting the Soviet Union, VaresÃ, an action picture, My Friend Henry a thriller about a child and his "imaginary friend, Dognail Clipper, and Juoksuh audantie an adaptation of a novel.
academy reaction:
mixed to positive.
95 min (French)
starring
Gerard Jugnot & Francois Berleand
synopsis
The Chorus is about a schoolteacher (score for France --they'll get nom'ed.)
misc info
...
snubbed films
This year's snubs include Comme Une Image from Agnes Jaouie (The Taste of Others) and A Very Long Engagement from the Amélie team, due to is release date (too late)academy reaction:
very enthusiastic
150 min (German / Russian)
starring
Bruno Ganz, Thomas Kretschmann, Ulrich Matthes, & Alexandria Maria Lara
synopsis
the final days of Adolf Hitler as told by his stenographer
misc info
This is Hirschbiegel's second Oscar shot. His last submitted film was Das Experiment.
snubbed films
Gegen die Wand / Head On which, like their most recent submission Goodbye Lenin! dominated the German box office and Oscars and Schultz Gets the Blues.
academy reaction:
positive -although subject matter & tone could cause problems in getting the nomination.
108 min (Greek / Turkish)
starring
Georges Corraface & Ieroklis Michaelidis
synopsis
Politiki Kouzina is about a boy who grows up to be a fine cook under the tutelage of his grandfather's culinary philosophies.
previous awards
Thessaloniki winner (which guarantees Oscar submission for Greece)
misc info
Spice is a giant hit in Greece, recently topping Titanic as their all time top money maker. Read the article on the film's sensation causing life here.
snubbed film Delivery.
academy reaction:
enthusiastic.
105 min (Hungarian)
starring
Sandor Csanyi & Zoltan Mucsi
synopsis
five subway workers in Budapest.
misc info
Their submissions tend to be strange films so this is a normal choice.
previous awards
Kontroll won four awards at Hungary's Oscars and recently debuted at TIFF.
snubbed films
After the Day Before, Mélyen örzött titkok/ Guarded Secrets took Best Actress at Hungary's Oscars. Struck By Love, a serial killer drama and Masnap which features a bizarre narrative/ fractured chronology.
academy reaction:
mixed.
1 nomination
Cold Light
Hilmar Oddsson
3 nominations
Shwaas
Sandeep Sawant
1 nomination
Turtles Can Fly
Bahman Ghobadi
90 min (Icelandic)
starring
Ingvar Eggert Sigurdsson, Kristbjörg Kjeld & Ruth Olafsdottir
synopsis
Drama about a middle aged man unhappy with his life.
misc info
making the festival rounds.
not eligible: Niceland from Fridrik Thor Fridriksson (Iceland's biggest auteur) is not eligible since its entirely in English.
academy reaction:
mixed.
107 min (Marathi)
starring
Arun Nalawade & Ashwin Chitale
synopsis
The film tells the story of a grandfather and an ailing boy who may be blinded by an operation that could save his life.
misc info
This is Sandeep's debut film
previous awards
Best Film at India's national awards as well as an acting award for its child star Chitale.
academy reaction:
mixed.
98 min (Kurdish)
starring
Soran Ebrahim & Avaz Latif
synopsis
Laakposhthaa ham parvaz mikonand is set in the Kurdish section of Iraq as American forces are entering...and it focuses on a group of kids there.
misc info
From the director of Marooned in Iraq and A time for drunken horses.
previous awards
the top prize at San Sebastian Festival
snubbed films Beautiful City about a man on death row and the sister trying to save him and Marmalouk a comedy about a thief
academy reaction:
positive.
min (Hebrew)
starring
Michaela Eshet, Hani Furstenberg, & Yehuda Levi
synopsis
Campfire is about the tensions within a modern Orthodox family in the 80s.
misc info
Said to have really strong performances
previous awards
won the Best Picture prize at the Ophir Awards (Israeli Oscars)
snubbed films
The other Ophir nominees were Walk on Water from Eytan Fox (Yossi & Jagger) an involving film about an Mossad Agent and his involvement with German siblings. Or, which won the Camera D'Or at Cannes --about a prostitute mother and her teen-age daughter. Metallic Blues and Atash-Thirst rounded out the list.
academy reaction:
positive.
105 min (Italian)
starring
Kim Rossi Stuart & Charlotte Rampling. synopsis
an estranged father is finally willing to meet his disabled teen-age son. Based on Nati due volte
misc info
Amelio is a previous nominee in the foreign category for Italy with the film Open Doors.
snubbed finalists
The buzzed Don't Move by Sergio Castellitto, which featured what is said to be a nominatable performance from Penelope Cruz. The other 8 finalists (Italy narrows down from 10 each year) were L'amore ritorna, L'amore ritrovato, Caterina in the big city , A Children's Story, After midnight , Io no (I do not) , Vento di terra (Land Wind) , and La vita che vorrei
academy reaction:
very positive.
141 min (Japanese)
starring
Yuya Yagira, Ayi Kitaura, Hieie Kimura, & Momoko Shimizu
synopsis
An abandoned family of children.
misc info
...
previous awards
The Best Actor prize at Cannes 2004.
snubbed films
Ashura no Gotoku was a nominee last year for Japan's Oscar but released within this period 10/03 -9/04. The sexual and divisive Vibrator. Kono yo no soto about Post WW II musicians. Musume douji a suicidal Kabuki actress. Warabi no ko . Kyo no Dekigoto from director of Go. Also Akama 48 Waterfalls, A Taste of Tea, and 69.
academy reaction:
positive...but probably more to the taste of cinephiles
140 min (Korean)
starring
Dong Kun Jang, Bin Won, and Eun Ju Lee
synopsis
Brothers in the Korean war.
misc info
Did quite well in its stateside release.
previous awards
...
snubbed films
Samaritan Girl from Ki Duk Kim whose Spring, Summer... was a big foreign hit in stateside release this year.
academy reaction:
mixed to positive.
min (Macedonian)
starring
Mitko Apostolovski & Maja Stankovska
synopsis
Golemata Voda is a man's look back at his childhood as a war orphan. The broader themes are religion versus communism.
misc info
...
previous awards
...
snubbed films
How I Killed a Saint about a homecoming trip
academy reaction:
...
145 min (Malay)
starring
Tiara Jacquelina
synopsis
A epic set in the 15th century Malaysia about a princess's forbidden love for a warrior.
misc info
The Princess of Mount Ledange, a big budget retelling of an old legend was the first title announced. I wonder if it's the same film but with a different title or if they submitted a different film?
previous awards
...
academy reaction:
mixed.
120 min (Spanish)
starring
Leonor Varela
synopsis
Voces Inocentes is about the war in El Salvador told from the point of a view of a child who is conscripted as a pre-teen.
misc info
...
previous awards
PGA Stanley Kramer Award
snubbed films
Temporada de Patos/Duck Season, shown at Cannes, is terrific but too low budget and comedic and young for Osscar's taste. Crime comedy Matanda Cabos and Desnudos (Nudes) based on a famous controversial stage play and Nicotina, currently in release, which won six awards at Mexico's Oscars (Ariels) were all bypassed.
academy reaction:
very positive.
More Information:
Afghanistan to Estonia / Palestine to Venezuela /
US Box Office for Foreign / Tally of past Oscar successes
My thanks to readers who contributed information:
Aldo, Anthony, Ariel, Arkaan, Carlos, Carsten, Christian, Diego, Enrique, Felippe, Fernando, Geert, Irvin, Karol, Krister, Javi, Javier, Manolis, Marcelo, Marjobo, Michael, Mykkel, Patrick, Pepe, Ralph, Ryan, Sanan, Senad, Shay, Sina, Subhadeep, Tharadon, Thomas, Tony, Tuuli, Uri, and VitorHigh Profile films that were not submitted:
Bad Education (Spain) Maria Full of Grace (Colombia) The Motorcycle Diaries (Brazil/Chile/Argentina) A Very Long Engagement (France)
Countries that did not submit (films they could have):
Albania (Dear Enemy, The Moonless Night), Algeria (Bab el Web, Pere, Viva Algeria), Bangladesh (Lalon), Belarus (Mysterium Occupation), Bhutan, Bolivia (El Atraco), Chad, Georgia, Guatemala (What Sebastian Dreamt), Hong Kong (Running on Karma, One Nite in Mongkog, Infernal Affairs), Indonesia (Kejar Amerika, Arisan!), Kazakhstan (Fifty-Fifty, The Hunter), Kyrgyztan, Lebanon (In the Battlefields), Lithuania, Luxembourg, Morocco (In Casablanca, Angels Don't Fly, Fille de Prison, L'enfant Endormi), Nepal (Dui Kinara), Peru (Con Game, Dias de Santiago), Sri Lanka (Scent of a Lotus Pond), Tunisia, Turkey (Boats out of Watermelon Rinds, The Waiting Room), Ukraine (A Driver for Vera), United Kingdom, Vietnam
7 noms / 3 wins
Simon
Eddy Terstall
5 noms/ 0 wins
Hawaii, Oslo
Erik Poppedetails
102 min (Dutch)
starring
Cees Geel & Marcel Hensema
synopsis
a friendship between a sick heterosexual dealer man and a homosexual dental student
misc info
euthanasia figures in -that's a hot topic in the Oscar bait cinema this year -- two other films getting play also go there.
snubbed films
Polleke from previously submitted director Ineke Houtman a film about an 11 year old was not chosen despite Oscar's love of foreign films dealing with children. Neither was the said to be intense Het Zuiden, which stars Lilja 4-Ever's Oksana Akinshina or the NYC trip comedy Phileine Says 'Sorry'
academy reaction:
mixed to positive.details
120 min (Norwegian)
starring
Trond Espen Seim, Aksel Hennie & Han Gunnar Roise
synopsis
multi-character interlocking stories film which takes place over 24 hours.
misc info
released one week prior to the cutoff date -it apparently knocked them out in the land of the midnight sun. Variety's Gunnar Rehlin calls it "one of the best Norwegian films made in years."
snubbed films
Just Bea and the sequel to Oscar nominee Elling, Mors Elling (which means something like "Elling's Mom" or perhaps something closer to inferring that's Elling is a 'mama's boy'). Those were the two highest profile contenders of the 18 homegrown eligible films.
academy reaction:
mixed to positive.
