Lebanese director Nadine Labaki has become one of the first Arab women to get an official Oscars nod after her film ‘Capernaum’ was included in the shortlist in the foreign language film category.
Set in a Beirut slum, the film tells the story of a 12-year-old boy who sues his parents for giving birth to him.
Alfonso Cuaron’s ‘Roma’ and Lee Chang-dong’s thriller ‘Burning’ were also among the nine films that are being considered for a foreign language Oscar nomination.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released its shortlist for foreign language nominees Monday, along with a slew of other categories including best documentary and score.
Many believe Mexico’s ‘Roma’ to be a front-runner for a best picture nomination as well, while the acclaimed ‘Burning’ is now one step closer to being South Korea’s first ever nomination in the category.
Other films in contention include Poland’s ‘Cold War’, which was snubbed by the Golden Globes, Japan’s ‘Shoplifters’, Colombia’s ‘Birds of Passage’, Denmark’s ‘The Guilty’, Germany’s ‘Never Look Away’ and Kazakhstan’s ‘Ayka’.
India’s official entry for the best “Foreign Language Film” category at the Oscars 2018, ‘Village Rockstars’, is out of the race for the honour, as is Iram Haq’s Norwegian drama ‘What Will People Say’, starring Indian actors.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Monday announced that nine films have advanced to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 91st Academy Awards, according to the official Oscars website.
Nominations will be announced on Jan. 22.
— With inputs by IANS.
