The film Incendies by Quebec director Denis Villeneuve (Polytechnique) has reached the semi-finals in the category of Best Foreign Language Film at the upcoming Oscars.
Based on the award-winning play Scorched by Wajdi Mouawad, Incendies follows the journey of two twin siblings as they attempt to unravel the mystery of their mother’s life when they travel to the Middle East in pursuit of their tangled roots and long-lost brother. The film premiered at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals in September 2010 and was released in Quebec on September 17, 2010. Reviews for the film have been extremely positive. The Gazette’s Brendan Kelly gave the film a rare 5 out of 5 stars and called it a "masterpiece."
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced that from the 66 films submitted, nine foreign films have been selected to move to the next round.
Semi-finalists for Best Foreign Language Film:
Algeria, Hors la Loi ("Outside the Law"), Rachid Bouchareb, director
Canada, Incendies, Denis Villeneuve, director
Denmark, In a Better World, Susanne Bier, director
Greece, Dogtooth Yorgos Lanthimos, director
Japan, Confessions, Tetsuya Nakashima, director
Mexico, Biutiful, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, director South Africa, Life, above All, Oliver Schmitz, director
Spain, Tambien la Lluvia ("Even the Rain"), Iciar Bollain, director
Sweden, Simple Simon, Andreas Ohman, director
The list will be whittled down to five films which will be announced, along with all other Oscar nominations, on January 25.
The Academy Awards gala on Sunday, February 27th will be hosted by Anne Hathaway and James Franco, and televised live to more than 200 countries around the world.