OSCAR: Foreign Shockers From Spain, Italy

EXCLUSIVE: I’ve just learned that Oscar’sever-growing Foreign Language filmlineuphas receivedshockers from Spain and Italy. Spaindidn’t select the presumedfavorite, whowas two-time Oscar winner PedroAlmodovarwith his The Skin I Live In starring frequent Almodovar collaborator Antonio Banderas. Instead,Spainchose the more obscure Pa Negre (Black Bread),an eerie mystery set in the years following the Spanish Civil War. It swept the Goyaawards last February, winning 9 out of 14 nominations. (Almodovar’s filmjust opened in Spain earlier this month and won’t be eligible until next year’s Goya contest.) It is truethat Almodovar has been consistently snubbed by the Spanish Film Academy which makes the selections.The renowned director was bypassed forTalk To Her and Broken Embraces after actually winning the Oscar for Spainfor All About My Mother in 1999. The situation got so contentious for a while that Almodovar actually resigned from the Spanish Academy as a protest against what he perceived as unfair voting practices. However, letting bygones be bygones, he did rejoinin April of this year. It was expected that goodwill gesture would be enough to put himback in the driver’s seat when it came time to vote for the Academy submission. But once againSpain’s most famous director has been overlooked in favor ofanother: the talented Agusti Villaronga,who does not nearly enjoy the international reputation of Almodovar.Sony Pictures Classics picked up Almodovar’sThe Skin I Live In and will release stateside on October 21st. Pa Negre has played a few American festivals but does not have any U.S. release as of now. It was thought (by me in mypreview) and others that the Foreign Language film race would fall right in line with the official competition of May’s Cannes Film Festival and contain high-profile films fromwell-known and well-rewarded directors. Instead Spain and Italy both wenta completely different way Wednesday in choosing the films that will represent them. Italyhas turned its nose up at Nanni Moretti’s well-received Cannes entry Habemus Papam, a very entertaining comedy/drama about what happens when the newly elected Pope gets cold feet and goes AWOL in Rome. IFC picked it up forU.S. distribution.Instead, the Italians chose the lesser known Emanuele Crialese film Terraferma about the consequences when a group of North African migrants land on an Italian island. It won some awards at this year’s Venice Film Festival and also played Toronto. It opened in Italy earlier this month but does not have U.S. distribution. Italy caused some waves last year bypassing the international hit I Am Love starring Tilda Swinton in favor of the lesser known The First Beautiful Thing which did not get nominated or even reach the Academy’s short list of 9 finalists). No surprise that Italy has not won the Foreign Language Film Oscar since Roberto Begnini’s memorable triumph for 1998′s Life Is Beautiful. Spain last won in 2004 for The Sea Inside. Several countries are still to be heard from and have until Monday to submit their choice. Last year there were 65 entries.

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