I got so many screeners in the past two weeks that I'm running late, but here is Group #4 of 5 consisting of the 18 (1/2) films from Africa and the Middle East. This is probably a record and it's a really strong list....They only got one spot last year (for Senegal) but they're likely to get quite a few this year. I've seen 10 of these, and have three more screeners at home.
The final list theoretically comes out tomorrow...
FRONTRUNNERS:
1. LEBANON- "Broken Keys"In A Nutshell: A pianist lives in a town that is taken over by an extremist group that bans music.
Pros: Those who have seen it say it's really good. This category tends to love stories about music. Religious extremism is topical, and Lebanon has done very well recently.
Cons: Nobody has seen it....But I think this will be one of the surprises on the list today.
2. TUNISIA- "The Man Who Sold His Skin" (L'Homme qui a vendu sa peau)In A Nutshell: A Syrian refugee stuck in Lebanon is offered a luxurious life in Europe if he agrees to sell his body as a work of art.
Pros: It's such an original story! I expect that this story will resonate with a lot of American viewers because of the parallels that could be made with American racism and immigration. The film is 40% in English, which will make it an easy watch. Sam Ali is a wonderfully complex character.
Cons: It's an unusual movie, and there's a lot to unpack here....I honestly am not sure if Oscar will go for this or not. I've seen this at the top (mostly) and bottom (occasionally) of people's lists.
3. IRAN- "Sun Children"In A Nutshell: The latest from Majid Majidi, a group of four street children enroll in a school in order to find a treasure for a local gang.
Pros: It's an "arthouse" Goonies! Majidi is a master of making films with children, and this is probably his best in years. This is a lovely story about the kids, but also a pretty engaging adventure/mystery.
Cons: Oscar hasn't gone for this kind of film in a while....
DARK HORSES
4. JORDAN- "200 Meters"In A Nutshell: A family with a sick son is separated by a 200-meter Israeli barrier in the Palestinian occupied territories
Pros: Generally good reviews. An easily relatable story about the absurdities of Middle East politics.
Cons: Some quibbles about the screenplay.....Not sure how this qualified for Jordan, since it's a Palestinian film....I'll see it this week but unfortunately after the official list comes out. :(
5. COTE D'IVOIRE- "Night of the Kings" (Nuit des rois)In A Nutshell: In a West African re-telling of 1001 Nights, a thief is forced to tell an all-night story as part of a prison ritual...after which he will be lynched.
Pros: It's done surprisingly well in the precursors and has kept up the buzz it got from the NY Film Festival. It's a fairly interesting story.
Cons: This is a really theatrical film.....in my opinion, it would be a lot better suited for the stage. Most reviewers cite a lot of plusses but also a lot of minuses.
6. SENEGAL- "Nafi's Father"In A Nutshell: A tolerant and popular imam finds his social position threatened when his brother returns from abroad with money and connections from an Islamic extremist group.
Pros: I thought this was one of the better films, and really shows you how Islamic terrorism has managed to spread through once tolerant communities. The conflict at the heart of the drama is a complicated one, and you'll find your allegiances shifting. Senegal (which has only submitted twice before) has never failed to make the shortlist!
Cons: Critics haven't liked the film as much as I did and It's a bit confusing at the beginning (the young lovers are first cousins....which seemed like I'd gotten it wrong....but no....they're indeed a couple)
MIDDLE OF THE PACK:
7. SOUTH AFRICA- "Toorbos"
In A Nutshell: Based on a beloved novel, an Afrikaner community is evicted from their beloved forest home in 1930s South Africa.
Pros: Decent reviews, beautiful scenery, strong acting performances and well-done costume drama. It looks like a quality period UK production
Cons: No buzz. Nobody is talking about it. Too much Afrikaner poetry?
8. LESOTHO- "This is Not A Burial, It's a Resurrection"In A Nutshell: A strong-willed octogenarian widow fight to keep her home when the government scheduled her entire village to be relocated to build a dam.
Pros: A brilliant and Oscar-worthy lead performance by the late Mary Twala who died shortly after the film premiered. The film has dazzled arthouse critics and earned some really strong notices that would have made it a natural fit for the Elite Committee....A stirring and memorable finale
Cons: This one really needed the Elite Committee to get noticed. This was a film I was really looking forward to, but I was terribly bored throughout its padded 2-hour running time (and irritated by the musical narration which reminded me of "Chunhyang"). Too many long shots of people and scenery with no dialogue....What does the stirring and memorable finale actually mean?
9. PALESTINE- "Gaza, Mon Amour"In A Nutshell: An elderly fisherman courts a local widow (played by Hiam Abbass) after finding a phallic statue.
Pros: Venice/Toronto label. Some strong notices. It's always nice when you see a lighter film from a place like Gaza to show you that ordinary people live there with ordinary problems.
Cons: Mixed reviews. I haven't seen this one so it's hard for me to say.
10. SUDAN- "You Will Die at 20"In A Nutshell: A devout young man living in a small village is prophecied at birth to die on his 20th birthday.
Pros: An original story, a fantastic backstory, and Oscar-worthy cinematography. Tailor made for discussions about religion, morality and Sudan's future.
Cons: This is a really fantastic debut for Sudan (it's far better than the film from Lesotho which has more buzz) but it's still a small film that may struggle to be remembered by those who don't know or care about the story behind it. The ending (as well as certain plot points) is extremely ambiguous and potentially frustrating. I just had a conversation with a friend about it and we drew different conclusions. Perhaps that's actually a plus???
UNLIKELY TO ADVANCE:
11. ISRAEL- "Asia"In A Nutshell: A mother-daughter drama about a nurse whose rebellious teenage daughter is dying of a fatal illness.
Pros: Great acting performances, including from Shira Haas who is making a name for herself in the United States. The mother-daughter drama is compelling, and terminal illness is sure to move some viewers.
Cons: It's a small film and not much is developed beyond the central mother-daughter relationship. This is a good film that is likely to get lost in the shuffle, especially with two other "terminal illness" dramas (Norway and Switzerland) getting more attention (though this is a better film than "My Little Sister").
12. TURKEY- "Miracle in Cell No. 7"In A Nutshell: A remake of the Korean hit movie of the same name, a mentally disabled father with a young daughter is arrested for a crime he didn't commit.
Pros: Crowdpleasing tearjerker. A huge hit in Turkey, backed by Netflix and likely to appeal to the masses.
Cons: It would be really weird for them to award a remake based so closely on another film (the Korean "Miracle in Cell No. 7"). Reviews have been all over the map. I haven't seen it but clearly some love it and some hate it.
13. NIGERIA- "The Milkmaid"In A Nutshell: The Boko Haram Islamic terrorist group attacks a wedding and takes a group of teenaged girls hostages as slaves and child brides.
Pros: There are fewer more sympathetic lead characters in the competition than Aisha, who doubles as victim and strong-willed heroine. The film makes Nigeria look exotic and beautiful despite the depressing subject matter. Some fun twists and turns (though I wish the story was told in order). Though the film occasionally veers into melodrama, it overall is very impressive ....An excellent debut for Nigeria.
Cons: I found the shifting timelines in the first half of the film to be very confusing, although everything made sense when I rewatched the first half hour (most voters won't do that)....The girls have their first big scene after they are kidnapped and dressed in identical abbayahs, making it difficult to tell who is who in a very important scene.
14. MOROCCO- "The Unknown Saint" (Le Miracle du Saint Inconnu)In A Nutshell: The only full-fledged comedy in the entire competition.....It's about a thief who buries a large sum of money next to a rural village before sent to jail. After he gets out three years later, he is dismayed to find the burial site is now home to a holy shrine.
Pros: As the only real comedy among the 93 films, this film stands out and is sure to be remembered. This is a fun comedy with a fun and likable antihero, that makes fun of both religion and village life...I could easily see this being bought for a US remake. In terms of actual enjoyment, there are few films I liked more.
Cons: It's a very lightweight story compared to many of the other countries. This category rarely goes for comedies.
BETTER LUCK NEXT YEAR:
ALGERIA- "Heliopolis"In A Nutshell: A family living under French rule faces a series of massacres by French forces coinciding with the end of WWII.
Bottom Line: This patriotic drama probably wouldn't have gotten very far, but I'd love to know why Algeria withdrew the film at the last minute.....
15. SAUDI ARABIA- "Scales"In A Nutshell: A B&W fantasy film set in pre-Islamic times, about an island community where each family is required sacrifice one daughter to the sea gods (mermaids).
Bottom Line: I never thought I'd be reviewing a "Saudi Arabian, feminist, horror-fantasy about mermaids".....But I loved "Scales", which is a really interesting Gothic-Arab fairy tale. Still this is a small, spare low-budget film debut in a genre that Oscar doesn't usually like, and reviews haven't been good enough to compete with the big boys. But this was one of the most original and enjoyable films in the race and I highly recommend it.
16. EGYPT- "When We're Born"In A Nutshell: A drama set to music (not a "musical", as some people say) about three characters and their romantic relationships.
Bottom Line: The film's producer Moataz Abdelwahab was arrested and jailed on politically motivated charges, and this movie was probably selected in part as a silent protest against Egyptian authorities. It looks like a cute slice-of-life drama but not the sort of thing that would be nominated.
17. KENYA- "The Letter"In A Nutshell: A documentary about a man in Nairobi who returns to his family village because family members are accusing his beloved grandmother of witchcraft.
Bottom Line: This is an interesting and personal little documentary that is basically a modern-day look at the Salem Witch Trials. In rural Kenya, there have been a number of attacks on respected elderly family members (sometimes violent, sometimes emotional abuse) accused of witchcraft, and a man in Nairobi is shocked that this is happening to his grandmother. It's a fascinating little story. It's a really interesting story, but this isn't a film that would be likely to compete with the likes of WWII epics and major film festival winners....
18. CAMEROON- "The Fisherman's Diary"In A Nutshell: A young girl tries to convince her well-meaning father to allow her to continue her education. The first Cameroonian film to qualify in 40 years and the first-ever film to qualify under the new rules that allow films in Pidgin English.
Bottom Line: Welcome Back, Cameroon! This was one of the last films to be announced, probably because it's the first film to test the new "Pidgin English" rule. It's supposed to be an earnest "girl power" educational drama and but it's probably too preachy and obscure to score here. Still, I hope I can find a way to see it....
Now the statistics:
Genres: 15 dramas, 1 comedy (Morocco), 1 fantasy (Saudi Arabia) and 1 documentary (Kenya)
Number of countries who have participated in the past: 19 in Africa & 11 in the Middle East
Number of countries entering films this year: 18, not including Algeria who withdrew their film.
Number of debuts: 2- Lesotho and Sudan
Who Didn’t Submit?: Out of countries that have submitted more than twice, we are missing only Ethiopia and Iraq but I'm also surprised to see Ghana missing. Ghana announced a call for submissions and "Gold Coast Lounge" looked like a strong contender.....Iraq's "Haifa Street" won awards at Busan and Cairo....Ethiopia didn't really have anything to send. As mentioned earlier, Algeria also submitted a film and then withdrew it for unknown reasons.
Already Seen: I’ve seen 11/18 films and they were mostly really good.....My favorite was "The Unknown Saint" (Morocco), followed by "The Man Who Sold his Skin" (Tunisia), "Sun Children" (Iran), "Scales" (Saudi Arabia) and "Nafi's Father' (Senegal). All really great films even if they aren't necessarily Oscar contenders. The films from Cote d'Ivoire, Israel, Kenya, Nigeria and Sudan all had positive attributes. I wasn't a fan of the film from Lesotho.
Film I'm most looking forward to seeing: "Gaza Mon Amour" (Palestine) I had a chance to see it the weekend I was moving out of the United States and I simply had too many things to do.
Number of Female Directors: 5. Shahad Ameen (Saudi Arabia), Kaouther Ben Hania (Tunisia), Maia Lekow (Kenya), Ruthy Pribar (Israel) and Rene van Rooyen (South Africa).
Oldest and Youngest Directors: 61-year old Majid Majidi (Iran) is the oldest....Not sure who is the youngest....The directors from Jordan, Morocco, Palestine and Saudi Arabia are probably all in their early 30s.
Number of Languages Represented: 8 out of 16 are in Arabic. We also have one each in Afrikaans, Farsi, French, Fulah, Hebrew, Pidgin English, Sotho and Turkish.
Number of countries with a realistic chance at making the shortlist: A lot....10-12?
Most Likely to Get Their First Nomination: Tunisia.
Buzziest films: "Night of the Kings" and "This is Not a Burial, It's A Resurrection"
Controversies and Changes: Because of the rule changes, Cameroon's film in Pidgin English is no longer controversial.....A lot of people thought Tunisia should be disqualified for too much English (I think it's about 60% in Arabic and French).
Lebanon apparently had a very contentious selection process, and I had heard that favorite "All This Victory" was supposedly originally picked.....Algeria originally announced "Heliopolis" but The Wrap reportedly that it was "withdrawn".
Oscar History: Majid Majidi is in the race for the sixth time; he got a nomination on his first try, in 1998 for "Children of Heaven" (ironically one of his lesser efforts). Jimmy Keyrouz (Lebanon) won a Student Academy Award.
Denis LaCote (2015; "Run") and Kaouther Ben Hania (2018; "Beauty and the Dogs" have been selected before.
Most Notable Omissions: "All This Victory" (Lebanon) won the Audience Award at Venice Critics Week and "A Son" (Tunisia) won Best Actor in Venice Horizons, both in 2019, "Between Heaven and Earth" (Palestine) won Best Screenplay in Cairo. Familiar Faces: Hiam Abbass (Palestine), Monica Bellucci (Tunisia), Shira Haas (Israel) and Denis Lavant (Cote d'Ivoire).
Last year's race: The Middle East and Africa only got 1/10 shortlist spots last year, for Senegal. My grades: Iran, Saudi Arabia (A), Algeria, Ghana, Israel, Nigeria, Tunisia (B), Egypt, Kenya, Lebanon (C+), Senegal (C), Palestine, Turkey (D).
Bosnia-Herzegovina, "Quo Vadis Aida?" A
Denmark- "Another Round" A-
Romania- "Collective" NOT SEEN
Norway- "Hope" NOT SEEN
Kosovo- "Exile" A
Spain- "The Endless Trench" NOT SEEN
Slovakia- "The Auschwitz Report" A-
Taiwan- "A Sun" NOT SEEN
France- "Deux" A-
Lebanon- "Broken Keys" NOT SEEN
Guatemala, "La Llorona" A- (But I'm really worried about this one, despite all the precursors)
Latvia- "Blizzard of Souls" B
Russia- "Dear Comrades" B+
Tunisia- "The Man Who Sold His Skin" A-
Germany, "And Tomorrow the Entire World" B- (Enough, Germany!!)
Mongolia- "Veins of the World" SEEING TONIGHT!
Chile- "The Mole Agent" B+
Pakistan- "Circus of Life" A (really hoping for this one! It would mean so much for Pakistani cinema and they're so close!)
Iran- "Sun Children" B+
Greece- "Apples" B+
Hungary- "Preparations to Be Together...." B+
Japan- "True Mothers" B+
Hong Kong- "Better Days" NOT SEEN
Jordan- "200 Meters" NOT SEEN
Senegal- "Nafi's Father" B+
Czech Republic- "Charlatan" C (I know they love Holland...but the film really is not good)
Dominican Republic- "A State of Madness" NOT SEEN
Ireland- "Arracht" B
Canada- "14 Days, 12 Nights" NOT SEEN
Cote d'Ivoire- "Night of Kings" B
Mexico- "I'm No Longer Here" C+ (I predict this will be the surprise snub....It's not a good film and it's definitely not what AMPAS likes)
Macedonia- "Willow" A-
Switzerland- "My Little Sister" C+
Serbia- "Dara of Jasenovac" NOT SEEN
Israel- "Asia" B
Lesotho- "This is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection" C
India- "Jallikattu" B 
Poland- "Never Gonna Snow Again" B
Colombia- "Memories of My Father" NOT SEEN
Sudan- "You Will Die at 20" B+
