Oscars: Lebanon, Iran lead strong yr for Middle East entries
Asia could be a dark horse in Oscar’s foreign-language race
LOS ANGELES, Nov 11, (RTRS): Among the Middle East’s 10 submissions, three of which are helmed by women, are several titles that are likely to be competitive in the foreign-language category. These include the Cannes jury prize-winner “Capernaum”, from Lebanon’s helmer-actress Nadine Labaki, and “The Cakemaker” from Israel’s Ofir Raul Grazier. While the lineup includes some films that premiered at major festivals such as Berlin, Venice and Cannes, nearly all of the regional entries, with the exception of the Yemeni title “10 Days Before the Wedding”, have screened in multiple smaller festivals and nabbed several awards.
Labaki’s third feature, “Capernaum”, is the story of an impoverished Beirut boy who launches a lawsuit against his parents for bringing him into the world. It has a lot going for it: It’s a heart-tugging social-issues drama with adorable non-pro child actors, and it plays like, er, a “Slumdog Beirut”. Moreover, the film, due out Stateside in December, has the muscle of boutique arthouse distributor Sony Pictures Classics behind it. Last year, Lebanon scored a nomination for Ziad Doueiri’s “The Insult”; odds are that “Capernaum” will make it two in a row.
In certain ways, the tender, delicate drama “The Cakemaker” is an unusual submission from Israel. It views the country and society through the lens of an outsider. It’s a film about loneliness and yearning, filled with sensuous textures and mouth-watering edibles.
While “Capernaum” and “The Cakemaker” represent the region’s best bets for an Oscar nomination, there are a couple of dark- horse titles that might have an outside chance for the short list of nine. Among them is Iranian Vahid Jalilvand’s “No Date, No Signature”, a complex drama about a well-meaning medical examiner haunted by the death of a child. The film’s twists and turns may remind some viewers of the works of Iranian master (and two-time foreign-language Oscar winner) Asghar Farhadi. Meanwhile, “Beauty and the Dogs” from Tunisian helmer Kaouther Ben Hania, about a young woman raped by police officers, definitely speaks to the current #MeToo zeitgeist.
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Although less competitive as Oscar fare, the remaining Middle Eastern titles certainly strong social issues commentary. Palestine’s entry, “Ghost Hunting” from Raed Andoni, which nabbed the documentary prize at the Berlinale, assembles a group of former Israeli prisoners to re-create the circumstances of their incarceration. Iraq’s “The Journey”, from Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji, explores the mind of a would-be suicide bomber. Morocco’s “Burnout”, from Nour-Eddine Lakhmari, looks at the seamy side of Casablanca society. And Egypt’s road movie, “Yomeddine”, from A.B. Shawky, follows a former leper as he crosses the country looking for long-lost relatives.
Love and death are near neighbors in Algeria’s “Until the End of Time”, from Yasmine Chouikh, in which an elderly gravedigger and a widow meet in a cemetery and develop feelings for one another. So are they too in “10 Days Before the Wedding”, Amr Gamal’s Adenset drama about a couple struggling to tie the knot in the middle of Yemen’s civil war.
The early money might be on Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma” (Mexico) and Pawel Pawlikowski’s “Cold War” (Poland), but Asia appears to have a real shot at the Oscar foreign-language category, with a mixture of heavy-hitters and dark horses from an eclectic line-up.
The continent’s frontrunner is easily Japanese master Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Palme d’Or winner “Shoplifters”. The film follows a family of petty thieves and the repercussions that ensue after they take in a waif. Moving, eloquent, and with an emphasis on the family unit, this is a film that could sway even the most cynical. The film will also benefit from its Magnolia Pictures’ release in the US.
From South Korea, Lee Chang-dong’s “Burning”, winner of the Fipresci Prize at Cannes, is mesmerizing. Beginning as a frustrated youth drama, it gradually moves into missing-person thriller territory, culminating in a cathartic finale. The film is based on a Haruki Murakami story and features his tropes, including a cat that may or may not exist. Well Go USA Entertainment is handling US distribution and the familiar presence of Korean-American actor Steven Yeun (“Walking Dead”, “Sorry to Bother You”) as one of the leads is a bonus.