2019 Oscar Contenders: Latin America and Africa

I’ve divided this year’s 87 nominees into four categories:

1. Latin America and Africa (22 films)

2. Asia and the Middle East (22 films)

3. Western Europe, Canada and Oceania (21 films)

4. Eastern Europe and the former USSR (22 films)

Here are the nominees from Latin America and Africa, which will probably end up with two shortlist spots.

DISQUALIFIED

23. CUBA- “Sergio and Sergei” Cuba was the last country to make a formal announcement, selecting Cold War dramedy “Sergio and Sergei” to represent the island on October 1st. Unfortunately, the film failed to appear on the official list a few days later. Why?….Some thought it was disqualified because the co-production had too much input from Spain. Others wondered if the film (co-starring American actor Ron Perlman) had too much English. The answers to both questions seemed to be no….Remezcla.com investigated the incident and it turns out that AMPAS claims they never received an entry from Cuba while the director and producers confirmed it had been sent on time. Not sure what happened but it’s a shame because the film- about the “radio friendship” between a Cuban teacher, a Russian cosmonaut and an American writer at the end of the Cold War- looks like a lot of fun and Cuba has mostly been absent from the category lately.

NO CHANCE IN HELL

22. PANAMA- “Ruben Blades Is Not My Name”

21. COSTA RICA- “Medea”

20. PERU- “Winaypacha”

19. ECUADOR- “Son of Man”
18. MOROCCO- “Burnout”

            Costa Rica and Ecuador have sent two strange, experimental films and are happy just to be participating at this level. “Medea”, a spare 70-minute drama about a young woman concealing her pregnancy from her friends and family, is filmed in a grim, cinema-verite style. It’s a difficult watch but manages to hold the viewer’s attention. “Son of Man” is a strange Indiana Jones-style story about a father who invites his estranged son to search for a lost treasure in the Amazon jungle. Filmed in an experimental style with drones, it’s more a curiosity than anything else. 

            Panama and Peru are out of their league. “Winaypacha” (Peru) is a labor of love featuring two 80-year old non-professional actors living alone in the Andes mountains. The first film made in the Aymara language, it works more as a documentary of traditional life than as a dramatic feature. The ending, however, is haunting and unforgettable. Panama’s documentary “Ruben Blades Is Not My Name” certainly makes the point that actor/musician and politician Ruben Blades is a fascinating Renaissance Man, and it somehow won an Audience Award at SXSW. But as a film, it’s average and doesn’t break any new ground.

            Morocco just selected badly. Though they had a strong film year, they somehow ended up with “Burnout” a hotly anticipated but poorly reviewed triptych film about three characters (a street kid, a wealthy young husband and a high-class escort) living in modern-day Casablanca. Nobody seems to like the film. It bombed at Morocco’s film awards and has a 3.7 on IMDB, the lowest of any film here.

TOO MUCH COMPETITION

17. MALAWI- “Road to Sunrise”

16. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC- “Cocote”

15. ALGERIA- “Until the End of Time”

14. SOUTH AFRICA- “Sew the Winter to My Skin” 

            Let’s start with the two I’ve seen. “Until the End of Time” is billed as an unusual love story from Algeria as a grouchy old woman visiting the grave of her sister develops feelings for the old man who tends the graveyard. It starts off strong with a series of endearing characters, but squanders its potential and basically goes nowhere. And the ending just confused me.  “Cocote” (Dominican Republic) sets up a strong moral dilemma. A religious man returns home for the funeral of his father where his family pressures him to take violent revenge on the man they believe was responsible for his death. It’s a great idea but the director spends much of the film detailing the (fascinating) religious and musical traditions of  the village that the plot is frequently forgotten, and filming his characters with their faces off-screen or far-away…which quickly grows irritating.

            South Africa’s cerebral apartheid-era Robin Hood story (“Sew the Winter to My Skin”) premiered at Toronto. It tells the nearly wordless true story of a fugitive robber and cattle thief who steals from white Afrikaners to help beleaguered African communities. Reviews have been positive but unenthusiastic. Nearby Malawi enters the race for the first time with “Road to Sunrise”. It’s great to have Malawi here and the film- a sort of “Thelma and Louise” about two prostitutes on the run after committing a murder in self-defense, has been well-received, but it’s got no buzz.

MIDDLE OF THE PACK

13. BOLIVIA- “La muralla”
12. CHILE- “…And Suddenly the Dawn”
11. BRAZIL- “The Great Mystical Circus”

10. VENEZUELA- “The Family” 

            These four films from South America have pros and cons that guarantee their placement squarely in the middle of the 87 films on offer…In Bolivia’s favor, “Muralla” (The Goal Keeper) is said to be an exciting thriller, about a man who turns to human trafficking to get money for his son’s emergency operation. Against it, it’s very much a genre film (thrillers rarely score here) and at least one critic noted that it would have been better as the pilot for a TV series (apparently, there was some talk of this) rather than taking this on in a 90-minute film. Brazil’s “The Great Mystical Circus” appeared at Cannes, has a renowned director, an international star (Vincent Cassel) and the production values of an Oscar winner, showing a century in the life of a struggling Brazilian circus. Unfortunately, it also got terrible reviews, essentially calling it a silly soap opera, and many Brazilians were embarrassed by the choice. It’s also an uphill battle for Chile’s three-hour-plus “…And Suddenly the Dawn” , which won Best Picture at Montreal 2017. The longest film in the competition, the Hollywood Reporter called it a “baggy monster of a movie”, in its mostly positive review. This ambitious, old-fashioned story of an aging writer returning to his hometown sounds like something that may have been nominated in the 1980s, but I fear it will be too much of an effort in 2018. Lastly, we have Venezuela’s “La familia”, about a struggling single father who flees his urban slum when his sullen, proto-thug of a son kills a violent neighbor kid. It’s a good film (the only one of these four I’ve seen) that makes good use of its limited budget, but these sort of gritty, “slice of dramas” from Latin America rarely score, even when they are great (like Venezuela’s earlier “From Afar”).

HOPING FOR A MIRACLE

9. KENYA- “Supa Modo”
8. PARAGUAY- “Las herederas”

7. NIGER- “The Wedding Ring” 

6. EGYPT- “Yomeddine”

These “never-nominated” countries will likely do their countries proud but will ultimately fail to make the next round to the intense competition with over 80 other films.

Three out of four are relative newcomers; Niger is submitting for the first time, while Kenya (2012 debut) and Paraguay (2015) are each sending their third film.  On paper, Paraguay’s “The Heiresses” (Las herederas) looks to be the strongest and many people are predicting it for the shortlist. I disagree. This female-driven meditation on loneliness is certainly well-acted (it won Best Actress in Berlin) but it’s also quite spare and minimalist. Centering on an upper-class woman who has fallen on hard times, I forgot the film completely by the next day. I think the exotic “The Wedding Ring” will do better. Following in the footsteps of other exotic dramas and filled with local color, “The Wedding Ring” tells the story of a young tribal princess who returns home to her traditional village after an extended stay living in Europe. It will probably miss out, but this female-helmed film from a virtually unknown nation is a film to watch.

“Supa Modo”, a warm-hearted tearjerker about an entire village trying to make the final wish of a terminally ill little girl come true, was controversially selected over lesbian drama “Rafiki” but was probably a better choice. Tugging at the heartstrings of the large committee, it will likely do well but fail to make the Top Six. Ditto “Yomeddine”, a comedy-drama road movie about a Christian man cured of leprosy, on a journey across Egypt. It played at Cannes but reviews have been mixed (though better in the USA than Europe). It’s definitely a “feel-good” movie, but Egypt has never scored here and some are criticizing the sentimental schmaltz factor.

CHALLENGERS/DARK HORSES

5. ARGENTINA- “El angel”

4. COLOMBIA- “Birds of Passage”

3. URUGUAY- “12-Year Night”

2. TUNISIA- “Beauty and the Dogs”  

One (or even two) of these films could fight their way to a shortlist spot if they’re lucky. The one everyone is talking about it “Birds of Passage”, whose director (Ciro Guerra) got a first-ever nomination for Colombia three years ago with "Embrace of the Serpent". “Birds of Passage” is a sprawling epic covering several decades in the life of a remote Amerindian community during the drug trade of the 1970s and 80s. Many have compared it to “The Godfather”. It’s very well-made but it's hard work to watch. I have a feeling it will just miss out.

 Though they have a lot less buzz, I’m feeling more confident about the chances for Tunisia and Uruguay. Simply put, “Beauty and the Dogs” (Cannes 2017) is a fantastic film. It's definitely my favorite of the 38 films I've seen so far. It's thrilling, it's heartbreaking, it's inspiring, it's maddening, it's everything a film should be....Plotwise, a young Tunisian woman finds herself under attack when she reports she has been sexual assaulted by three policemen. The Oscar committee is rarely interested in movies about women (look at the unfair snubs of brilliant movies like “Eva Nova”, “Gloria” and “8 Women”) and this one will definitely be on the bubble. But it’s topical Arab take on #MeToo will surely get people talking. “A Twelve-Year Night” (Venice) delves into the military dictatorship of the 1970s when three prisoners (including a future President) were held in solitary confinement in an attempt to drive them mad. Oscar voters like prison dramas and this one is said to be particularly well-done, with humor and pathos and everything the large committee likes. 

            Last but not least is “El angel”, the crime drama from Argentina about teenage killer Robledo Puch. A fun mix of Quentin Tarantino and Pedro Almodovar (who co-produced) in equal measure, it’s an entertaining biopic that has done better with audiences than with critics. While the film will likely do well in the rankings, the perception that it is sometimes “uneven” (along with some of the in-your-face homoeroticism) will prevent it from making it to the Top Nine.

ALMOST A LOCK

1. MEXICO- “Roma”

They say there are no locks in the Foreign Film category but 1970s B+W drama “Roma” is already tipped to win Mexico's first-ever Oscar for Best Foreign Film in February. Reviews have been universally positive and the film is expected to get nominations in mainstream categories including Best Screenplay and possibly even Best Picture. It’s as much of a lock as there can be to make the shortlist.

Now the statistics:

Number of countries from these regions who have participated in the past: 20 from Latin America and 14 from Africa

Number of countries participating this year:  22; 14 from Latin America (15, if you count Cuba) and 8 from Africa.

Number of debuts: 2- MALAWI and NIGER

Number of countries opting out:  From Latin America, Puerto Rico is no longer invited and Honduras (who debuted last year) formed a committee but couldn’t find a suitable entry. Guatemala, Haiti and Nicaragua also bowed out. From Africa, the most notable absences were Ethiopia, Ghana (which made a big deal of forming a selection committee last year but which never sent a film) and Senegal, which made the shortlist last year. 

Number I predicted correctly- 8- Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Kenya, Mexico, Paraguay, Tunisia and Uruguay plus I mentioned Malawi and Niger might debut. Only Ecuador and South Africa took me completely by surprise.

Already Seen: 10. I’ve seen the nominees from Algeria (B-), Argentina (B+), Colombia (B+), Costa Rica (B-), Dominican Republic (C), Panama (C), Paraguay (B-), Peru (B), Tunisia (A) and Venezuela (B+). "Beauty and the Dogs" is far and away the best film. 

Film I'm most looking forward to seeing: “The Wedding Ring”, a rare cinematic look at NIGER.

Number of Female Directors:  5- Kaouther Ben Hania (Tunisia), Yasmine Chouikh (Algeria), Rahmatou Keita (Niger) and Alexandra Latishev (Costa Rica) plus Cristina Gallego (Colombia) who co-directed “Birds of Passage” with her ex-husband Ciro Guerro.

Oldest and Youngest Directors: 31-year old Oscar Catacora (Peru) and 78-year old Caca Diegues (Brazil) 

Number of Foreign Languages Represented:  Many of the films are multi-lingual, but we have 12 mostly in Spanish, four in Arabic and one each in Afrikaans, Portuguese and Swahili. There are also three exotic tales primarily in Wayuu (Colombia), Chichewa (Malawi), Aymara (Peru) and the African languages of Zarma and Hausa (Niger).

Number of Documentaries: Panama plus the weird docudrama hybrid from Ecuador.

Number of countries with a realistic chance at making the shortlist: 5, but that's pushing it. 

Highest profile film:  No contest. It’s Oscar favorite “Roma” from MEXICO.

Oscar History: Mexico's Alfonso Cuaron has two Oscars for directing and editing "Gravity" while Colombia's Ciro Guerra got Colombia's first Oscar nomination in this category for "Embrace of the Serpent". 

Carlos 'Caca' Diegues is hoping the seventh time is the charm as he represented Brazil without luck six times between 1977 and 1999. Silvio Caiozzi (Chile) and Alvaro Brechner (Uruguay) each represented their countries twice before while Noureddine Lakhmari (Morocco) was in the race once for "Casanegra" . 

Controversies and Changes:  Other than Cuba's mysterious absence? The biggest controversy came from Kenya when the homophobic censorship board banned lesbian-themed Cannes drama "Rafiki" from screening in the country. The director sued in court and won an injunction, allowing the film to screen and quickly becoming the top-selling Kenyan film of the year. In the end, the selection committee chose a rival film ("Supa Modo") but it's important to note that the director of "Supa Modo" supported the screening of "Rafiki" and the director of "Rafiki" quickly congratulated the director of "Supa Modo". Both films were made by young, up-and-coming directors. A lot of Brazilians were upset that the critically maligned "Great Mystical Circus" was selected over more acclaimed films like "Loveling" and "Good Manners". 

Most Notable Omissions:   For me, the most surprising omission was "Pablo's Word", an engaging thriller that was expected to be the first-ever Oscar submission from El Salvador, the only Latin American country never to compete in the Oscar race. Heist thriller "Museo" (Mexico) and lesbian love story "Rafiki" (Kenya) were also notable omissions. Also out of luck in Round One: Berenice Bejo's "Quietude" (Argentina), werewolf horror drama "Good Manners" (Brazil), senior citizen story "Violeta, al fin" (Costa Rica), LGBT drama "Retablo" (Peru) and border thriller "El amparo" (Venezuela). 

Familiar Faces: Ruben Blades (Panama), Vincent Cassel (Brazil), Antonio de la Torre (Uruguay) Ron Perlman (Cuba), and Cecilia Roth (Argentina)

Last year's race:    Last year, Africa and Latin America sent 23 films, including the eventual winner (Chile) and three of the nine shortlisted films. I saw 16 out of 23, though my personal favorites were “Carpinteros” (Dominican Republic) and “Sheikh Jackson” (Egypt).