‘The White Ribbon’ & ‘A Prophet’ Make The Academy Foreign Language Films Shortlist For 2009

The Academy of Motion Arts & Pictures has released its Foreign Language Film shortlist and 9 films have made the cut. Eventually they’ll be whiddled down to five when the Oscar nominations are announced on February 2. The nine films are as thus:

“El Secreto de Sus Ojos,” – Juan Jose Campanella (Argentina)
“Samson & Delilah,” – Warwick Thornton (Australia)
“The World Is Big and Salvation Lurks around the Corner,” – Stephan Komandarev (Bulgaria)
“Un Prophete,” – Jacques Audiard (France)
“The White Ribbon,” – Michael Haneke (Germany)
“Ajami,” S- candar Copti and Yaron Shani (Israel)
“Kelin,” – Ermek Tursunov (Kazakhstan)
“Winter in Wartime” – Martin Koolhoven (The Netherlands)
“The Milk of Sorrow” – Claudia Llosa (Peru)

We like to think of ourselves as consumers and connoisseurs of global cinema, but even having attended Cannes, TIFF, SXSW and two or three other film festivals last year, we’re only really familiar with the three hits from Cannes (“The White Ribbon” which one the top prize, the runner-up, “Un Prophete” and the camera d’Or winner, “Samson & Delilah”). This writer has only seen “The White Ribbon,” while other Playlist scribes have also seen, “Un Prophete,” but even the most internationally savvy film critics can probably agree this list is very esoteric and/or for the Foreign Language board only. The rest of us will likely have to wait until 2010 or 2011 to see this selections (again, probably those who were at Cannes and had a chance to see the aforementioned three that will likely make the final five).

65 films were originally vying for the 82nd Academy Awards Foreign Language nominations, but the Academy’s Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee have obviously said their word. No love for Bong Joon-ho’s “Mother.” Ah well, we’re not completely surprised, but a little disappointed regardless. [IndieWire]