With the expected announcements today from Belgium (Two Days One Night) and Canada (Mommy), forty-three countries have already announced their Oscar submissions which means we have 2/3rds of the list already (It's usually around 65-70 films). Okay, technically we have 42 at this writing but Canada will have announced by the time you read this (I'm offline for a few hours travelling hence publishing without that news) which we hope is the incredible Mommy. Every submission chart has been updated to reflect all the recent announcements.
I'm illustrating this news update with the striking poster from Colombia's entry Mateo which is about a teenager who is asked by his crime boss Uncle to infiltrate a local theater group and tell him everything about their political activities...
I haven't seen the film but from the looks of the poster he's enjoying his time with theater friends and might not want to betray them. Thus, DRAMA to come.
Of the 43 official submissions I have seen only five and I'd rank them in this order (links go to reviews or capsules if they exist here already):
- Force Majeure (Sweden)
- Mommy (Canada)
- Ida (Poland)
the top three are basically tied. the number will change depending on my mood - they're all deeply impressive - Beloved Sisters (Germany) - review next week
- 1001 Grams (Norway)
But I've seen another handful of assumed submissions or viable threats for submission that we're still waiting on official word about...
- Argentina (Wild Tales?)
- Cuba (Behavior?)
- Iceland (Life in a Fishbowl?)
- Israel (The Farewell Party?)
And now an amusing coincidence!
Both Germany's submission (Beloved Sisters) and Greece's submission (Little England) which appear side by side on the alphabetical chart are dramas about two sisters in love with the same man! I haven't seen the Greek film but in the German entry the sisters are totally okay with sharing. Or at least they plan to be in this feverish plunge into three hours of hopeless romanticism. It opens in the US on December 24th.
a very memorable scene from Germany's "Beloved Sisters"
Here are the charts. Explore and share with friend!
Pt. 1 Afghanistan through Ethiopia - 14 official submissions thus far
Pt. 2 Finland through Panama - 18 official submissions thus far including the first ever submission from Panama called Invasión
Pt. 3 Peru through Vietnam -11 submissions thus far