\n\tFrance, which typically selects auteur-driven, culturally emblematic films, finds itself choosing between two unprecedented options: one from an American director (Linklater), the other from a revered Iranian filmmaker working under government restriction (Panahi). Further complicating matters, \u201cNouvelle Vague\u201d is almost entirely in French, while \u201cIt Was Just an Accident\u201d is in a mix of Farsi and Arabic. Both qualify under the Academy\u2019s international feature guidelines.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/themes\/pmc-variety-2020\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\u201cNouvelle Vague\u201d
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Cannes Film Festival<\/p>\n
\n\tIf selected, \u201cNouvelle Vague\u201d \u2014 which Netflix acquired out of Cannes \u2014 would mark the first time in history that France has selected a film by an American director. In fact, no American director has ever helmed a movie nominated in the international feature category from any country (Per Academy\u2019s current rules, the country is the official nominee, not the film\u2019s director). Coincidentally, Netflix was also behind the last time an American-born filmmaker represented a country for its official submission \u2014 Angelina Jolie, who directed \u201cFirst They Killed My Father\u201d (2017) for Cambodia (Jolie has citizenship in the country). The film was not shortlisted or nominated. A distinction of this type could spark backlash from national purists, or be welcomed as a bold shift for a cinematically rich country that hasn\u2019t won the Oscar since \u201cIndochine\u201d in 1992.<\/p>\n
\n\tAdmittedly, it can look a bit strange to have an American helming another country\u2019s submission. Imagine if Clint Eastwood\u2019s best picture nominee \u201cLetters from Iwo Jima\u201d (2006) had represented Japan during its year? (It was not eligible due to being a U.S. production.)<\/p>\n
\n\tStill, \u201cNouvelle Vague\u201d has been warmly embraced by critics and cinephiles as a sharply crafted tribute to the French New Wave, invoking legends such as Jean-Luc Godard, Fran\u00e7ois Truffaut and Agn\u00e8s Varda.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe film, shot in black and white, reimagines the making of Godard\u2019s debut \u201cBreathless.\u201d It recreates the 1959 Parisian setting, lighthearted tone and three-way chemistry between its leads and their director \u2014 portrayed by lookalikes for Jean Seberg, Jean-Paul Belmondo and Godard himself: Deutch, Aubry Dullin and Marbeck.<\/p>\n
\n\tAlthough Linklater is no awards novice \u2014 with Oscar nominations for \u201cBoyhood,\u201d \u201cBefore Sunset\u201d and \u201cBefore Midnight\u201d \u2014 \u201cNouvelle Vague\u201d is his first feature shot in a language he isn\u2019t fluent in. The film is nearly entirely in French, with minimal English dialogue. If France selects it, and with the backing of Netflix, it could become one of its most competitive entries in decades (in a field expected to be just as competitive).<\/p>\n
\n\tAlso, Linklater has double the awards chances, with a second film playing at Telluride. Sony Pictures Classics\u2019 \u201cBlue Moon,\u201d a light-hearted biopic of songwriter Lorenz Hart starring Ethan Hawke, which debuted at Berlin, is playing adjacent to \u201cNouvelle Vague\u201d on Friday night. There, Hawke will be receiving the Silver Medaillion tribute for his decades of acting and filmmaking endeavors. <\/p>\n
\n\tIn contrast, Panahi \u2014 long considered one of the world\u2019s most vital filmmakers \u2014 is on the ground with \u201cIt Was Just an Accident,\u201d his first project since his 2022 imprisonment for criticizing the Iranian government.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\tJafar Panahi with the Palme D\u2019Or award for \u201cIt Was Just an Accident\u201d in Cannes.
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty Images<\/p>\n
\n\tDespite a 2010 ban on filmmaking, media appearances and travel, Panahi continued working in secret. The ban was later lifted, allowing him to attend Cannes for the premiere of \u201cIt Was Just an Accident\u201d earlier this year, where it won the Palme d\u2019Or. The film, starring Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi and Vahid Mobasser, centers on a group of former political prisoners confronting the guard who once tortured them. Panahi is also being honored with a tribute at Telluride on Sunday night, which will be followed by the screening. <\/p>\n
\n\tA submission of Panahi\u2019s film, which was acquired by Neon, would not only champion artistic resistance, but position France as an advocate for global free expression. Notably, in 2015, France submitted \u201cMustang,\u201d a Turkish-language film by Deniz Gamze Erg\u00fcven \u2014 a rare moment where language and nationality blurred in favor of cinematic excellence.<\/p>\n
\n\tOne deciding factor may be Cannes recognition. While \u201cIt Was Just an Accident\u201d won the top prize, \u201cNouvelle Vague\u201d went home empty-handed. Although winning at Cannes is not a guarantee of Oscar attention, the road to a nomination \u2014 especially in international feature \u2014 can be tougher for films that leave the festival without a mention.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe last Cannes competition title to leave without a prize and still receive a best picture nod was Quentin Tarantino\u2019s \u201cOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood\u201d (2019). <\/p>\n
\n\tThe truth is, either film being the French selection would be unprecedented. France has never chosen a film that was not in its native language and not helmed by a non-native of the country and the selection committee also has never chosen a film from an American director.<\/p>\n
\n\tMoreover, in the history of France\u2019s Oscar submissions, dating back to 1948, the country has never passed over an award-winning Cannes competition film in favor of a non-awarded title. The closest precedent came in 2005, when Palme winner \u201cL\u2019Enfant\u201d from the Dardennes brothers was submitted by Belgium (although it was in French), and France ended up selecting \u201cJoyeux No\u00ebl.\u201d Interestingly, \u201cNo\u00ebl\u201d ultimately received an Oscar nomination \u2014 while \u201cL\u2019Enfant\u201d did not.<\/p>\n
\n\tThat said, winning Cannes doesn\u2019t always translate to Oscar gold. Just ask the Palme d\u2019Or winners \u201cTitane\u201d (2021) and \u201cBlue Is the Warmest Color\u201d (2013), which were both likely too outr\u00e9 for Oscar recognition.<\/p>\n
\n\tBeyond international feature, both films are eyeing broader Oscar prospects. \u201cNouvelle Vague\u201d could emerge in supporting actress (Deutch\u2019s energetic performance could be compared to Cate Blanchett\u2019s Oscar-winning turn as Katharine Hepburn in \u201cThe Aviator\u201d), as well as production design, cinematography and adapted screenplay.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cIt Was Just an Accident\u201d benefits from the recent Palme-to-best-picture-nomination momentum, seen with \u201cTriangle of Sadness\u201d (2022), \u201cAnatomy of a Fall\u201d (2023) and last year\u2019s best picture winner, \u201cAnora.\u201d Neon is positioning the drama for a haul that could be similar to the Japanese drama \u201cDrive My Car\u201d (2021), which scored noms for best picture, director, original screenplay and international feature. <\/p>\n
\n\tNeon\u2019s slate is packed this upcoming season \u2014 with four other non-English language titles: Joachim Trier\u2019s \u201cSentimental Value,\u201d Kleber Mendon\u00e7a Filho\u2019s \u201cThe Secret Agent,\u201d Oliver Laxe\u2019s \u201cSir\u0101t\u201d and Park Chan-wook\u2019s \u201cNo Other Choice.\u201d That could present a strategic juggling challenge during awards season.<\/p>\n
\n\tAt the patron\u2019s brunch held on Friday morning, both filmmakers and casts were in person, meeting the various festival attendees, many of which are Oscar voters.<\/p>\n
\n\tRegardless, with both films showing strong festival performance and critical support, France\u2019s final decision \u2014 which is expected in early September \u2014 will come down to politics, perception and precedent. In a year when the Academy is more international than ever, France\u2019s choice could reverberate far beyond the Oscar shortlist.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Every awards season brings national submission debates, but this year, France\u2019s decision for its official entry in the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":384072,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5309],"tags":[2000,299,36,133259,50195,14673],"class_list":{"0":"post-384071","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-france","8":"tag-eu","9":"tag-europe","10":"tag-france","11":"tag-it-was-just-an-accident","12":"tag-nouvelle-vague","13":"tag-oscars"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384071","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=384071"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384071\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/384072"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=384071"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=384071"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=384071"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}