Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Cannes Competition drama Minotaur is widely considered one of the live contenders to make the Academy’s Best International Film category.
Earlier this week, the Russian-language drama, which won the Grand Prix on the Croisette, was among eleven movies to make Germany’s longlist for the prize. However, it was the only film on the list to have ‘provisionally’ next to its name.
That’s likely because it could also be selected as France’s submission, something that should become clearer towards the end of September when the country makes its decision on which film to send to the Oscars.
Minotaur, a domestic drama about how a high-powered Russian executive’s meticulously controlled existence unravels when professional crises, global chaos, and marital betrayal converge, is a French-German-Latvian co-production.
Zyagintsev’s two previous Oscar nominations came under the Russian flag. That won’t be the case if it’s nominated this time. Zyagintsev is now in exile and the film is considered a veiled attack on the Russian regime.
Despite filming entirely in Latvia, that country is considered a minority co-producer on Minotaur and we understand it is unlikely to be entered as the Latvian hopeful. France is considered the primary producer with Paris-based MK2 and CG Cinema aboard and the former handling sales. Arte France also financed.
There’s confidence from those close to the film that it can claim the French nomination. But it’ll have to see off rivals including fellow Cannes films such as Emmanuel Marre’s A Man of His Time and historical epic De Gaulle: Résistance. If it does, it would seem more likely to rep France than Germany.
The lineup of French hopefuls this year is not considered as strong as in some recent editions of the category. Germany on the other hand has a few strong options, including İlker Çatak’s Berlin Golden Bear winner Yellow Letters.
Will Netflix acquisition Gentle Monster, starring Léa Seydoux, feature in the French race? It wasn’t on the German longlist and Austria has selected Berlin winner Rose. France and Sweden were also producers on the movie so the window isn’t entirely shut.
The French nomination for the Oscars is often a political affair. Last year was a case in point, with plenty of politicking behind the scenes about the choice of Jafar Panahi’s Iranian drama It Was Just An Accident. There were some in the industry who questioned the film’s selection on account of its largely Iranian creative makeup. A separate designation for dissident filmmakers has been discussed for years. This is among the most political of categories. There is not only jostling between films, but also between co-production countries and companies.
Minotaur, with its veiled criticism of Putin and Zvyagintsev’s status in exile, is in similar terrain to Panahi’s film. And also to Mohammad Rasoulof’s Persian-language The Seed of the Sacred Fig, which was previously Oscar nominated as Germany’s entry in the category.
The Best International Film race is another fascinating affair this year. Movies like Minotaur, Fjord, All Of A Sudden and Lee Chang-dong’s Venice title Possible Love are all expected to be in the mix. Lukas Dhont’s war drama Coward, yet another Cannes entry (the festival’s pre-eminence in this category continues), is another that critics are high on. Netflix’s La Bola Negra feels like the frontrunner so far and along with Fjord, perhaps the most likely crossover film. That said, some we’ve spoken to believe the category may lack the depth of recent editions and is without powerhouse crossover titles such as Anatomy Of A Fall, Emilia Perez and Sentimental Value. We shall see.
