On the list of 15 shortlisted prior to the nominations is the film ‘Argentina, 1985’, by Santiago Mitre, and the Mexican film ‘Bardo’, by Alejandro G. Irritu.
It could not be. ‘alcarrs‘, the film selected by the Spanish Film Academy to compete in the international film category at the next edition of the Oscars, has been left out in the first cut. The other Academy, the one in Hollywood, announced on Wednesday at 9 in the afternoon the first list of 15 films from which the nominees will come out and the film by Carla Simón that won the Golden Bear in Berlin did not appear there.
At first, it did not seem that there were many possibilities and the forecasts (or omens, better) have come true. Basically, the problem is the difficulty of entering into a gala to be held in March 2023 (on the 12th to be precise) a film released in February of the previous year. The distance is great, memory is short and the list of rivals has only grown since then.
Be that as it may, the Spanish language will certainly have representation. And double. Those that do appear are the Argentine and Mexican films. Both, by the way, premiered at the Venice Mostra that took place in the much closer September. Santiago Miter compete with ‘Argentina, 1985‘, the very visceral, faithful, emotional and, all told, routine reconstruction of the trial that convicted the military junta responsible for the brutal dictatorship. In front, yes, a plethoric Ricardo Darán larger than life itself. More debatable is the inclusion of the production of Netflix ‘Bard’ in which Alejandro G. Irritu undresses in an exercise in extreme vanity. Be that as it may, the two-time Oscar for best director, resume obliges, could not be missing.
In the rest of a selection without a clear favourite, the Korean representative should be highlighted in first place. ‘Decision to Leave’by Park Chan-wook. The film that won the Best Director award at Cannes is, without a doubt, an exercise in surgical cinema that is as detailed as it is effective. And next to him the French ‘Saint Omer’, by Alice Diop, who won the Grand Jury prize in Venice and who portrays with unusual precision and rigor the trial of a mother before the most nefarious of crimes: having killed her 15-month-old daughter. Two of the great films of the year without a doubt.
There is more. Few tapes are as wildly emotional as ‘close‘, by the Belgian Lukas Dhont. Or as spectacular as the return to the novel by Erich Maria Remarque ‘No news at the front’ signed by the German Edward Berger. Or as cloudy as Holy Spider‘, by the Danish Ali Abbasi. Or as clairvoyant and disruptive (whatever this means) as ‘The Rebel Empress’, by Marie Kreutzer and with an imperial Vicky Krieps. Or as emotional and lyrical as ‘The quiet girl’, by the Irish Colm Bairad. Or as bestial, in the best and most donkey sense (the protagonist is a real donkey), like ‘hey‘, by Jerzy Skolimowski. Or so so… Rarely has the award seemed so competitive and open to everything. Pity.
The complete list
Argentina, “Argentina, 1985”
Austria, “The Rebel Empress”
Belgium, “Close”
Cambodia, “Return to Seoul”
Denmark, “Holy Spider”
France, “Saint Omer”
Germany, “All Quiet at the Front”
India, “Last Film Show”
Ireland, “The Quiet Girl”
Mexico, “Bardo. False chronicle of a few truths”
Morocco, “The Blue Caftan”
Pakistan, “Joyland”
Poland, “EO”
South Korea, “Decision to Leave”
Sweden, “Cairo Conspiracy”
Source: www.elmundo.es
