Movies go beyond language, say directors

The Golden Globe Awards are put on by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association – a group of journalists who cover movies for international publications – so it’s fitting to pay special tribute to international film- makers.

The HFPA did that yesterday at its 11th annual Foreign Language Film Symposium, which drew the directors of four of the five foreign- language films nominated at today’s Golden Globes.

Abdellatif Kechiche of France ( Blue is the Warmest Color), Thomas Vinterberg of Denmark ( The Hunt), Paolo Sorrentino of Italy ( The Great Beauty) and Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi of Iran ( The Past) discussed their work with each other and an audience of fans at Hollywood’s Egyptian Theatre.

Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki, whose film The Wind Rises is also up for a Globe, wasn’t able to attend.

Apart from Vinterberg, who also works in English, each director was accompanied by an interpreter. All said that despite working in disparate languages, film transcended any such obstacles.

‘‘ Film is beyond all spoken language,’’ Vinterberg said. ‘‘ The more local I get in my writing, the farther my film reaches.’’

His nominated film, The Hunt, stars Mads Mikkelsen as a lonely teacher whose life is upended by an innocent lie.

Blue is the Warmest Color is a coming- ofage love story. The Great Beauty explores the indulgence of lavish nightlife. The Past deals with family relationships. The Wind Rises is about a dreamer who designed fighter planes in World War II.

Trailers for all five films up for the Golden for best foreign- language film were shown at the symposium, where filmmakers also took questions from fans. The winner is to be announced today at the 71st annual Golden Globe Awards.