Oscar's "Best International Feature Film" race begins

by Nathaniel R

The 94th Oscars are six months away but we now know seven of the contenders for the next Best International Feature Film race (so it's time to start building those Oscar charts). In the past couple of years this category has been on absolute fire with the double whammy of extremely enthusiastic critical acclaim and crowd-pleasing entertainments via South Korea's Parasite (2019) and Denmark's Another Round (2020). For the first time that we can recall the window of eligibility this season follows the exact calendar year (usually international film contenders calendar runs October to September but last year f***ed with everyone's calendar) so as long as a movie opens in its home country sometime in 2021 it is theoretically eligible for submission. Each country can only send one film, though, as per always.

Here are the first eight contenders announced. If we've reviewed them there's a link...

CAMBODIA White Building
US Distribution: Not Yet
A fine debut feature for 34 year old Kavich Neang (whose first short was produced by Rithy Panh!) deals with gentrification pushing poor famiies out of the inner city of Phnom Penh and one young man who feels his dreams slipping away with all the changes.  [Reviewed at Venice]

ECUADOR Sumergible
US Distribution: Not Yet}
The sercond feature from Alfred León León is a thriller about the crew of a narco submersible trying to avoid sinking with their cargo. It opened in March in Ecuador.

GERMANY I'm Your Man
US Distribution: Bleecker Street
More on Germany's choice here

KOSOVO Hive
US Distribution: Kino Lorber / Zeitgeist Films -- dates TBA
This story is about a woman struggling against the patriarchy to run her own own business after her husband goes missing in the war. Hive won the top three major World Cinema prizes at Sundance this past January -- a nice headstart for the Oscar race. It's the debut feature from Blerta Basholli who is the first female directer submitted in this category for 2021 (but this category has been working towards gender parity for a much longer time than the main Oscar races since many countries are ahead of the US in this regard when it comes to filmmaking.) 

MOROCCO Casablanca Beats
US Distribution: Not Yet
From acclaimed long-established director Nabil Ayouch this is the story of a teacher who encourages her students to rap. This is the fifth film from Ayouch to be submitted by his home country. His previous submissions were Mektoub, Ali Zaoua: Prince of the Streets, Horses of God, and Razzia. Trivia: Ayouch is a voting member of AMPAS as well as the Arab Film Awards and the César Awards. [Reviewed at Cannes]

POLAND Leave No Traces
US Distribution: Not Yet
This nearly three hour drama comes from 37 year old Jan P. Matuszynski, who usually works in Polish TV, world premiered at Venice this month. It's about the investigation of the death of a young student killed by the militia a crime then buried by the government. [Reviewed at Venice]

SERBIA Oasis
US Distribution: Not Yet
A sophomore feature from 39 year old Ivan Ikic (Barbarians) deals with a love triangle at a facility for intellectually disabled youth. It premiered at Venice last summer and has won a smattering of film festivals since then.

SWITZERLAND Olga
US Distribution: Not Yet
A drama about a Ukrainian gymnast training in Switzerland whose mother is reporting on civil unrest and demonstrations back home. The cast is filled with real gymnasts rather than actors. The debuting director Elie Grappe is only 27 so he might end up the youngest director submitted for the Oscars this year. Olga played at Critics Week in Cannes this summer.

Most of these are still on the festival circuit so it'll be a bit until they're rentable or streaming or at your local arthouse (if that still exists... sigh)

Comments

[ratednext]

I'm super excited to start watching these films.
Hive seems to be the one with the most buzz out of these 7 films.

[Kris]

I saw Hive at Sundance and Oasis last year at Tallinn Black Nights - both were ok, but I doubt they will be nominated, because I guess they won't appeal to that extent to the voters. Hive was guite gloomy and heavy and the subjectmatter stressful, but in a realistic way, which wasn't that interesting as a movie. While Oasis was a little better with the love among the disabled youngsters, forming love triangle in that special home for them (particularly the main female character was really good and as I understood, the actors were unprofessionals, withdisabilities and special needs, while still acting "characters", which made it even more real... and the way they fight (or don't) for their love, it was sort of touching.
Germany just selected "I'm your man" as their represtation at internation film oscar race and that one I saw at Berlin festival and loved it (the female lead is particularly good and the dilemma it raises is dramatic, psychological and fun in a romantic way) I really wish it will get at least among the selected half finalists. At least it has all the possibilities (the actor from Downton Abbey is playing there the human robot and he really speaks ok german!)