Argentine legal drama Belén and Brazilian political thriller O Agente Secreto (“The Secret Agent”) have made it onto the shortlist for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Tuesday.
O Agente Secreto, directed by Kleber Mendonça and starring Wagner Moura, is a personal, political and espionage drama set in 1970s Brazil under the military dictatorship.
The production is aiming to repeat Brazil’s success at this year’s Oscars, when the country won the statuette for Best International Feature Film with Ainda Estou Aqui (“I’m Still Here”), by Walter Salles, another portrait of the so-called “years of lead.”
O Agente Secreto got off to a strong start in Hollywood’s awards season, earning three Golden Globe nominations to be presented in January, including one in the coveted Best Picture category.
Closer to home, Belén – directed by and starring Dolores Fonzi – follows the true-life story of a young woman who was sentenced to eight years in prison for aggravated homicide in Tucumán Province, under suspicion of having undergone an illegal abortion. The film received a standing ovation at the San Sebastián Film Festival.
The Spanish production Sirat. Trance en el desierto (“Sirat: Trance in the Desert”) also appears on the Academy’s shortlist, which traditionally pre-selects 15 contenders for the international category during a first round of voting.
Other shortlisted films enjoying strong momentum include the Norwegian feature Sentimental Value, starring Stellan Skarsgård and the French-backed entry Un simple accident (“A Simple Accident”).
Directed by Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, Un simple accident follows a man who believes he has accidentally encountered his torturer on the streets of Tehran. Shot clandestinely, the film won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Other candidates on the list are: In die Sonne schauen ("Sound of Falling," Germany), Homebound (India), The President’s Cake (Iraq), Kokuho (Japan), All That's Left of You (Jordan), Palestine 36 (Palestinian Territories), No Other Choice (South Korea), Heldin ("Late Shift," Switzerland), Left-Handed Girl (Taiwan) and La voix de Hind Rajab (“The Voice of Hind Rajab,” Tunisia) complete the list.
The members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will vote to select the Oscar finalists between January 12 and 16.
Nominations for the 98th edition of the coveted awards will be announced on January 22, while the lavish ceremony will take place on March 15 in Hollywood.
– TIMES/AFP
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