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French lesbian romance, boozy comedy Mads Mikkelsen from Denmark and Netflix musical drama from Mexico are among the Oscars’ hopes on the best foreign film shortlist announced on Tuesday.
Fifteen contestants for the International Academy Award have been selected from 93 eligible entries, and will be relegated to five nominees next month, ahead of the April Oscars.
The Danish superstar “Another Round” reveals former James Bond spokesman Mikkelsen as a middle-aged alcoholic who promises to get drunk every day, as part of a pseudoscientific experiment in the there are three fellow school teachers.
The film, which was nominated for last week’s Golden Globe nomination, was released at last year’s Toronto festival, and received “an acclaimed compliment for friendship, family and bacchanal ugliness in moderation” by Hollywood commentary.
It competes with a Mexican teenage drama “I’m No Longer Here,” set within the colorful Latin American musical tradition of cumbia, and “Two of Us” in France about a pair of retired women. and who have kept the passionate relationship a secret for decades.
Last year’s international Oscar went to “Parasite,” a South Korean that became the first winner to win the overall best picture.
The country failed to shortlist this edition, with East Asia represented by Taiwan’s famous family drama “A Sun” and Hong Kong’s high school bullying saga “Better Days.”
But “Parasite” Neon distributor hopes to repeat glory with Ivory Coast’s “Night of the Kings,” a mysterious fable told within the prison walls of a famous African country’s Maca.
“La Llorona,” a modern-day political retelling of a terrifying folk tale, set among ruthless military leaders and indigenous tribes, hopes to be Guatemala’s first nominated film.
Romania and Tunisia – who have never been named – made the cut with their claims as well.
Applications from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, the Czech Republic, Iran, Norway and Russia end up on the international film list.
Italy’s “Notturno” bid did not appear on the international shortlist, even though no country has won more Oscars in the region than Federico Fellini’s.
But “Notturno,” about everyday people fleeing a devastating conflict in the Middle East, replaced it with the best Oscar documentary shortlist – also published Tuesday -.
It competes with the “Crip Camp” disability documentary from the Obamas production house, as well as the Wuhan pandemic hospital film “76 Days,” a Texas teenage political film “Boys State” and a “Time” prison system feature.
This year’s Oscars, delayed by the pandemic, will take place on April 25th.
(AFP)