Dolan hopes third time a charm
It’s Only the End of the World up for foreign-language Oscar consideration
For the third time since 2009, Canada’s best foreign-language Oscar hopes will rest on a film by Quebec director Xavier Dolan.
His newest, It’s Only the End of the World (Just la fin du monde), was chosen by a committee of 23 members representing government agencies and industry associations.
Dolan’s directing debut, I Killed My Mother, was Canada’s pick in 2009, while his 2014 film Mommy represented the nation that year.
Last year, Felix and Meira, directed by Maxime Giroux, was the committee’s choice.
None of these made it past the Oscar selection committee, however, which releases a nine-film shortlist in January before whittling the choices down to five finalists for the prize. Last year, 81 countries submitted feature films to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for consideration; the winner was Son of Saul, by Laszlo Names of Hungary.
Canada’s last (and only) Oscar win for best foreign-language film was in 2003, for The Barbarian Invasions by Denys Arcand.
It’s Only the End of the World has had a bumpy ride to success.
When it first screened in competition at the Cannes Film Festival in May, many critics declared it his worst film to date.
However, the festival jury chose to award it the Grand Prix, an honour second only to the Palme d’Or.
It’s Only the End of the World has already been released in Quebec and opened in Toronto on Sept. 23, with other cities to follow.