The submission list for the 84th Annual Academy Awards' foreign-language category has been officially announced, with 63 countries selecting films. The selection includes high profile entries on this year's festival circuit, including Wim Wenders's "Pina" (Germany), Aki Kaurismaki's "Le Havre" (Finland), Béla Tarr's "The Turin Horse" (Hungary), Joseph Cedar's "Footnote" (Israel), Asghar Farhadi's "A Separation" (Iran) and Toronto Film Festival People's Choice Award winner "Where Do We Go Now?," directed by Nadine Labaki.
Labaki is part of a notable trend in the submissions, with a significant amount of countries submitting female-directed films, including France (Valérie Donzelli's "Declaration of War"), Hong Kong (Ann Hui's "A Simple Life"), Norway (Anne Sewitsky's "Happy Happy"), Poland (Agnieszka Holland's "In Darkness"), The Netherlands (Maria Peters's "Sonny Boy") and multiple others.
Last year, the category ended up being won by Denmark (in another female-directed example, Susanne Bier's "In a Better World"). The list of announced submissions is below. The deadline for all countries to send in their submissions was October 3, 2011. The submitted motion pictures must be first released theatrically in their respective countries between October 1, 2010 and September 30, 2011.
Albania - Amnesty[, directed by Bujar Alimani
Argentina - Aballay, directed by Fernando Spiner
Austria - Breathing, directed by Karl Markovics
Belgium - Bullhead, directed by Michaël R. Roskam
Bosnia and Herzegovina - Belvedere, directed by Ahmed Imamović
Brazil - Tropa de Elite 2, directed by José Padilha
Bulgaria - Tilt, directed by Viktor Chouchkov
Canada - Monsieur Lazhar, directed by Philippe Falardeau
Chile - Violeta, directed by Andres Wood
China - Flowers of War, directed by Zhang Yimou
Colombia - The Colors of the Mountain, directed by Carlos César Arbeláez
Croatia - 72 Days, directed by Danilo Šerbedžija
Cuba - Habanastation, directed by Ian Padrón
Czech Republic - Alois Nebel, directed by Tomás Lunák
Denmark - SuperClásico, directed by Ole Christian Madsen
Dominican Republic - Love Child, directed by Leticia Tonos
Egypt - Lust, directed by Khaled El Hagar
Estonia - Letters to Angel, directed by Sulev Keedus
Finland - Le Havre, directed by Aki Kaurismaki
France - Declaration of War, directed by Valérie Donzelli
Georgia - Chantrapas, directed by Otar Iosseliani
Germany - Pina, directed by Wim Wenders
Greece - Attenberg, directed by Athina Rachel Tsangari
Hong Kong - A Simple Life, directed by Ann Hui
Hungary - The Turin Horse, directed by Bela Tarr
Iceland - Volcano, directed by Rúnar Rúnarsson
India - Adaminte Makan Abu, directed by Salim Ahamed
Indonesia - Under the Protection of Ka’Bah, directed by Hanny R. Saputra
Iran - A Separation, directed by Asghar Farhadi
Ireland - As If I Am Not There, directed by Juanita Wilson
Israel - Footnote, directed by Joseph Cedar
Italy - Terraferma, directed by Emanuele Crialese
Japan - Postcard, directed by Kaneto Shindō
Kazakhstan - Returning to the ‘A', directed by Egor Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky
Lebanon - Where Do We Go Now?, directed by Nadine Labaki
Lithuania - Back to Your Arms, directed by Kristijonas Vildžiūnas
Macedonia - Punk's Not Dead, directed by Vladimir Blazevski
Mexico - Miss Bala, directed by Gerardo Naranjo
Morocco - Omar Killed Me, directed by Roschdy Zem
Netherlands - Sonny Boy, directed by Maria Peters
New Zealand - The Orator, directed by Tusi Tamasese
Norway - Happy, Happy, directed by Anne Sewitsky
Peru - October, directed by Daniel Vega Vidal
Phillippines - The Woman in the Septic Tank, directed by Marlon Rivera
Poland - In Darkness, directed by Agnieszka Holland
Portugal - Jose and Pilar, directed by Miguel Gonçalves Mendes
Romania - Morgen, directed by Marian Crisan
Russia - Burnt By The Sun 2: Citadel, directed by Nikita Mikhalkov
Serbia - Montevideo, God Bless You!, directed by Dragan Bjelogrlić
Singapore - Tatsumi, directed by Eric Khoo
Slovakia - Gypsy, directed by Martin Sulik
Slovenia - Silent Sonata, directed by Janez Burger
South Africa - Beauty, directed by Oliver Hermanus
South Korea - The Front Line, directed by Jang Hun
Spain - Black Bread, directed by Agustí Villaronga
Sweden - Beyond, directed by Pernilla August
Switzerland - Summer Games, directed by Rolando Colla
Taiwan - Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale, directed by Wei Te-Sheng
Thailand - Kon Khon, directed by Sarunyu Wongkrachang
Turkey - Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan
United Kingdom - Patagonia, directed by Marc Evans
Uruguay - The Silent House, directed by Gustavo Hernández
Venezuela - The Rumble of the Stones, directed by Alejandro Bellame Palacios
Vietnam - Thang Long Aspiration, directed by Lưu Trọng Ninh
Get the latest on this year's award season at indieWIRE's new awards page.
32 Comments
Saeed | January 24, 2012 6:09 AM
A Separation is really fantastic....
Tom | January 24, 2012 6:07 AM
A Separation, directed by Asghar Farhadi is one of the best films i've ever seen. its the winner.
roya | January 17, 2012 3:51 AM
a seperation.............................will win
Pere Sanllei | January 16, 2012 12:55 PM
BLACK BREAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Elisabet | January 15, 2012 11:37 AM
Black Bread explains the awakening of the moral conscience of a child in a hard historical context: a postwar period. All this explained in a poetic but also very realistic way. Do not miss
Sergi Doladé | January 14, 2012 2:11 PM
SPAIN´S BLACK BREAD IS ASTONISHING. NOTHING LIKE IT IN EUROPE´S RECENT CINEMATOGRAPHY. THE CONSEQUENCES OF WAR NARRATED FROM A KID´S POINT OF VIEW. BRILLIANT IN EVERY SEQUENCE, MOVING IN EVERY WORD.
Aleksandra Jurkovic | January 13, 2012 5:42 PM
Serbian film, "Montevideo, God bless You!" is by all means brilliant, heartwarming film that would have all family glued to a TV. The way story shows how young Yugoslav football players won their right to represent their country at first World Cup in Uruguay in 1930 is fabulous and I personally can not wait to see a sequel which is due to be released this year.
Sara | January 12, 2012 1:08 AM
"A separation" is one of the best one that I've ever seen. I'm sure that will be The Best Foreign Language Film.
HOSSEIN | January 8, 2012 11:23 AM
"a separation": you should watch this film many times to feel deeper and deeper... It talks about paradoxes between personal values and family values.
Andrew | January 5, 2012 8:07 PM
THE ORATOR from New Zealand.
mehrbod | January 5, 2012 11:26 AM
the BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM will be "A SEPARATION".
I'm sure.
Miley.H | January 3, 2012 6:55 AM
I'm sure "a separation" will win.It deserve it.
Clara | December 30, 2011 9:31 AM
Bullhead should at least be nominated: The director has been named as one of the most promising directors in 'Variety' because of this movie. It has won many prices in different countries (Russia, Belgium, Germany, United States...) It's a mesmerizing movie, a crime movie with an original storyline. Moreover, it's also very psychological. + Matthias Schoenaerts did an absolute fabulous job; In my opinion, one of the most promising actors who's making his way to hollywood. He played alongside Marion Cottilard, Wentworth Miller, Eric Stonestreet, James Marsden, Karl Urban... You guys should keep an eye on him.
Rayane | December 28, 2011 6:44 AM
Where Do We Go Now (Lebanon) shoud win for these reasons: 1- Till now it won more than 10 International Awards including one of the most important: Audience Award at the 63rd Toronto International Film Festival - Canada (2011). - Best Movie Award, the Best Scenario Award & the Best Actress Award for Claude Baz Moussawbaa in Oran Arab Film Festival, Algeria (2011) - Best Screenplay Award & the Best Music Award (Khaled Mouzanar) in Stockholm Festival, Sweden (2011) - Audience Award: Best Narrative Film at the DTFF - Doha Tribeca Film Festival, Qatar (2011) - Audience Award in Oslo (2011) - Bayard D'or for the actresses of the movie, the Bayard D'or for the Best Film& the Award of the Jury Junior in the 26th International Francophone Film Festival of Namur, Belgium (2011) - Award To The European Film, Audience Award at the 2011 San Sebastián International Film Festival - Spain (2011) - Nadine won the award of Best Actress in Angoulême Film Festival - France (2011) - Francois Chalais award "Un Certain Regard" & the audience's award in Cannes Festival - France (2011) and more to come 2- "Where Do We Go Now" is officially the Biggest Arabic speaking film released in Lebanon. 3- "Where Do We Go Now?" is the 3rd all time Lebanese Box office Hit under James Cameron's Titanic and Avatar and ahead of Mel's Gibson Passion of The Christ. While watching the movie, you laugh, you cry, you listen to an amazing music !! We need the message it delivers nowadays . Simply the best !!! Good Luck, Where Do We Go Now really deserves this award !!
Imma | December 27, 2011 11:31 PM
THE FIRST GRADER from KENYA....how can anyon miss that??
THE FIRST GRADER.....THE FIRST GRADER.....THE FIRST GRADER.....THE FIRST GRADER.....THE FIRST GRADER.....THE FIRST GRADER.....THE FIRST GRADER.....THE FIRST GRADER.....THE FIRST GRADER.....THE FIRST GRADER.....THE FIRST GRADER.....THE FIRST GRADER.....THE FIRST GRADER.....THE FIRST GRADER.....THE FIRST GRADER.....
asfhir | December 19, 2011 7:24 AM
the orator (new zealand) sad movie should win something
asif | December 18, 2011 3:24 PM
Adaminte Makan Abu (india)
superb movie
Rabihzeitouny | December 16, 2011 5:00 PM
Where do we go now is one of the bedt movies I've ever seen. Good job NADINE LBAKI!
onur | December 5, 2011 8:24 PM
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia must be nominated.It is very great movie.
John | October 19, 2011 10:17 AM
Spain's Black Bread is a great movie!
Jaie | October 11, 2011 4:05 AM
I think you are missing the Dominican Republic's entry, "La Hija Natural".
djpal1 | September 26, 2011 4:25 AM
South Africa's Beauty was one of the worst films I saw at Toronto. It was a poorly edited film that featured a truly despicable lead character.
Darryl Anka | September 26, 2011 3:15 AM
Darryl Anka’s feature film, “DEARLY DEPARTED,” needs support to finish post-production.
“DEARLY DEPARTED” is a fictional documentary, shot as though the film crew took a camera into the spirit world and interviewed dead people to get their take on life after death.
The video’s at kickstarter.com:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/592267588/dearly-departed
Thank you!
aparecida lopes | September 24, 2011 12:47 PM
tropa de elite, mereçe esse credito,
saidgb2 | September 21, 2011 12:17 PM
i hope morocco's Omar killed me make it to the final nominees and way not even win
Anna | September 21, 2011 12:15 PM
Brazil is submitting Elite Squad 2.
Aadm | September 21, 2011 7:27 AM
I am rooting for Tropa de Elite 2! I love the first one and I am hoping #2 is released in the United States. I believe City of God and Elite Squad could have been box office gold in America if they were marketed correctly.
Mike | September 21, 2011 5:21 AM
Really Russia? Not Elena?
Kingrandom | September 21, 2011 4:12 AM
I wish Japan had submitted 13 Assassins instead.
Albert | September 21, 2011 3:22 AM
Sorry, I meant "Sarah's Key".
Albert | September 21, 2011 3:20 AM
What about "Rachel's Key"? Does that qualify as a French film?
Tiago Ramos | September 20, 2011 8:11 AM
"José and Pilar" is such a good movie. It's a documentay but his structure looks like fiction and the message of love that is brought to us is universal and moving. It's a big movie, lovely and a major surprise! The movie is co-produced by portuguese Jumpcut, O2 (Fernando Meirelles) and El Deseo (Pedro Almodóvar)!