The Oscars snub France but celebrate the Francophonie with "Close"

• “Saint-Omer” by Alice Diop was not selected in the category “Best foreign film” but the Belgian film “Close” to represent the Francophonie.

• This story of tragic friendship between two boys will have to deal with heavy competition, in particular with "Eo" by Jerzy Skolimowski.

• The Oscars will take place in Los Angeles on March 13.

Allison Williams and Riz Ahmed announced the 2023 Oscar nominees on Tuesday.

And that's the disappointment.

by Alice Diop, chosen to represent France, was not retained by the Academy in the nominations for the best foreign film.

The Belgian film

by Lukas Dhont, our great favorite of the year, is on the other hand present on the list.

Already rewarded by the grand prize of the Cannes Film Festival, this story of tragic friendship between two boys is a marvel of sensitivity which demonstrates that the director (Caméra d'or in 2018 for

) keeps all his promises.

"I would like as long as my characters touch the greatest number of spectators and that they help to better understand teenagers and their feelings on edge," confided the director to

after receiving his trophy on the Croisette.

His Oscar nomination shows that

touched voters more than the

which won at the Venice Film Festival.

Didier Allouch, correspondent in Los Angeles for Canal + explains " 

was too radical for the voters, the French people who choose the films to represent us should really think more of the American public if they want to go beyond the stage of "short-list" and get an Oscar nomination.

France has not received the trophy for best foreign film since 1993 and

the fresco by Régis Wargnier.

The little donkey in Eo by Jerzy Skolimowski could create a surprise

Lukas Dhont and

will face strong competition at the ceremony.

The moving little donkey in

by Jerzy Skolimowski, Jury Prize at Cannes, could create the surprise but it is the German soldier of the First World War of A

by Edward Berger, already very noticed at the Bafta and available on Netflix, which is considered a big favorite.

The film is also cited in the “Best Film” category.

“Voters like historical films above all and then strong emotions, specifies Didier Allouch.

This is why

is a big favorite and

is considered an outsider.

»

However, there is still a chance for France to collect a statuette: the deserved nomination of Franco-Iranian cinematographer Darius Khondji for

by Alejandro González Iñárritu (available on Netflix).

The suspense will end on the day of the Oscars ceremony on March 12 at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.

Movie theater

“Saint-Omer”: “Even today, the film continues to work for me”, assures director Alice Diop

Movie theater

“Close”: Friendship stories also usually end badly

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