Subject: OSCAR PREVIEW:BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM By ALAN SILVERMAN/LOS ANGELES From: "Demetrios E. Paneras" DATE=3/23/95 TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT NUMBER=5-19990 TITLE=OSCAR PREVIEW:BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM BYLINE=ALAN SILVERMAN DATELINE=LOS ANGELES CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: HOLLYWOOD'S BIGGEST EVENT OF THE YEAR ARRIVES MONDAY [3/27] WHEN THE AMERICAN MOTION PICTURE ACADEMY HONORS FILM ACHIEVEMENT WITH THE 67TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS. EACH YEAR, FILM COMMITTEES IN COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT ENTRIES FOR BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM. THIS YEAR, THE NOMINEES INCLUDE TWO FIRST-EVER ENTRIES (MACEDONIA AND CUBA), A PAIR OF COUNTRIES WITH THEIR SECOND OSCAR-CONTENDERS (RUSSIA AND TAIWAN) AND THE FOURTH NOMINATION FROM BELGIUM. VOA'S ALAN SILVERMAN HAS THE LOOK AT THE CONTENDERS FOR THE BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM ACADEMY AWARD: TEXT: TAIWAN FILM-MAKER ANG LEE IS IN THE OSCAR RACE FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW. IN 1994, IT WAS "THE WEDDING BANQUET." THIS YEAR, IT'S HIS LATEST HUMOROUS LOOK AT LOVE AND FAMILY LIFE: "EAT, DRINK, MAN, WOMAN:" /// OPT /// /// "EAT, DRINK, MAN, WOMAN" ACTUALITY /// (CHINESE/NO TRANSLATION) "THE MENU?..." /// END ACTUALITY /// /// END OPT /// DIRECTOR AND CO-WRITER LEE EXPLAINS THE TITLE AS THE BASIC NEEDS OF ALL PEOPLE -- FOOD AND SEX -- INTERTWINED IN THE STORY OF A REVERED MASTER CHEF WHO COOKS UP THE MOST LAVISH BANQUETS WITH EASE: /// OPT /// /// "EAT, DRINK, MAN, WOMAN" ACTUALITY /// (CHINESE/NO TRANSLATION) "IT'S OKAY. THE LAST FOUR COURSES ARE STEWS .. NOW WE'LL MAKE THE WHOLE SHARK FIN." /// END ACTUALITY /// /// END OPT /// BUT WHO FINDS IT FAR TRICKIER [MORE DIFFICULT] TO COOK UP ROMANCE FOR HIS THREE DAUGHTERS. FILMED ON LOCATION IN TAIWAN, "EAT, DRINK, MAN, WOMAN" WAS NAMED BEST PICTURE AT THE ASIA-PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL AND IS THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE PICK OF CRITICS IN THE AMERICAN NATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEW. MUSIC AND LOVE MIX, DRAMATICALLY, IN THE BELGIAN OSCAR ENTRY: /// "FARINELLI" ACTUALITY /// "FARINELLI!! FARINELLI!!.." /// END ACTUALITY /// "FARINELLI: IL CASTRATO" IS BASED ON THE TRUE STORY OF 18TH-CENTURY COMPOSER RICCARDO BROSCHI [BROH'-SKI] AND HIS BROTHER CARLO, A GIFTED SINGER; THEY SHARE LOVE OF MUSIC AND THEIR LOVERS: /// OPT /// /// "FARINELLI" ACTUALITY /// (FRENCH) "THEY SAY THE BROSCHI BROTHERS SHARE EVERYTHING, INCLUDING THEIR CONQUESTS." /// END ACTUALITY /// /// END OPT /// CASTRATED AT AGE TEN, CARLO IS BLESSED WITH A PHENOMENAL OPERATIC VOICE ... AND IT IS HIS SACRIFICE FOR THE SAKE OF ART THAT INTRIGUED DIRECTOR AND CO-WRITER GERARD CORBIAU: /// CORBIAU ACTUALITY (IN TRANSLATION) /// (FRENCH) WHAT WAS PARTICULARLY INTERESTING IN THE CASTRATO IS THAT HE WAS TOTALLY SACRIFICED TO MUSIC. IN FACT, HE IS NO LONGER A MAN, HE IS ONLY A MUSICIAN ... ONLY MUSIC. /// END ACTUALITY /// /// "FARINELLI" MUSIC /// USING COMPUTER EDITING, THE FILM-MAKER COMBINED TWO SINGING VOICES /// OPT /// -- DEREK LEE RAGIN AND EVA GOLDLEWSKA -- /// END OPT /// TO RE-CREATE THE CASTRATO'S REMARKABLE THREE-AND-ONE-HALF OCTAVE RANGE. "FARINELLI: IL CASTRATO" WON A GOLDEN GLOBE FROM THE HOLLYWOOD FOREIGN PRESS ASSOCIATION; IT IS BELGIUM'S FOURTH FOREIGN LANGUAGE OSCAR NOMINATION AND THE SECOND TIME FOR DIRECTOR CORBIAU, NOMINATED IN 1988 FOR "THE MUSIC TEACHER." AN UNSENTIMENTAL LOOK AT THE STALINIST ERA GIVES RUSSIA ITS SECOND OSCAR NOMINATION SINCE THE END OF THE SOVIET UNION, "BURNT BY THE SUN:" /// OPT /// /// "BURNT BY THE SUN" MUSIC /// DIRECTOR NIKITA MIKHALKOV CO-WROTE AND STARS IN THE STORY OF SERGUEI PETROVITCH KOTOV ON A LONG SUMMER DAY IN 1936 WHEN THIS AGING MILITARY HERO ENDS UP BURNT BY -- A VICTIM OF -- STALIN, THE ARTIFICIAL "SUN" THAT HE AND HIS FELLOW BOLSHEVIKS HELPED CREATE: /// OPT /// /// "BURNT BY THE SUN" ACTUALITY /// (RUSSIAN/NO TRANSLATION) "WE ARE BUILDING UP SOVIET POWER SO THAT ALL THEIR LIVES PEOPLE WILL HAVE FEET LIKE YOURS TO RUN WITHOUT HAVING TO FLEE." /// END ACTUALITY /// PUTTING THE TRAGEDY OF THAT ERA IN HUMAN TERMS IS IMPORTANT, SAYS THE FILM-MAKER, BECAUSE "HISTORY TEACHES US THAT NOBODY LEARNED ANYTHING:" /// OPT /// /// MIKHALKOV ACTUALITY (RUSSIAN) /// WITH, AS HE MODESTLY PUTS IT, "MY WEAK VOICE," NIKITA MIKHALKOV SAYS HE'S TRYING TO REMIND A NEW GENERATION "IT'S IMPORTANT TO LOOK BACK." "BURNT BY THE SUN" WAS THE GRAND JURY PRIZE WINNER AT LAST YEAR'S CANNES FILM FESTIVAL AND IT'S THE THIRD FOREIGN LANGUAGE OSCAR NOMINATION FOR THE DIRECTOR/WRITER/STAR. THE MODERN-DAY BALKAN CONFLICT PROVIDES THE SETTING .. AND THE DRAMA .. IN THE FIRST-EVER OSCAR NOMINEE FROM MACEDONIA: "BEFORE THE RAIN:" /// OPT /// /// "BEFORE THE RAIN" ACTUALITY /// (MACEDONIAN/NO TRANSLATION) "I'LL SHOOT" "YOU'LL HURT YOURSELF" /// END ACTUALITY /// /// END OPT /// AMERICAN-EDUCATED WRITER/DIRECTOR MILCHO MANCHEVSKI RETURNED TO HIS NATIVE MACEDONIA FOR THIS FICTITIOUS TALE OF THE ALL-TOO REAL HORRORS OF WAR AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF A YOUNG NOVICE MONK WHO TRIES TO HELP A MOSLEM GIRL ... A PHOTOJOURNALIST WHOSE IMAGES OF ATROCITIES EARN PRIZES, BUT WHO YEARNS FOR PEACE ... AND THE LONDON PHOTO-EDITOR WHO TRIES TO UNDERSTAND WHAT SHE SEES IN HIM AND HIS PICTURES. "BEFORE THE RAIN," EXPLAINS THE FILM-MAKER, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN: /// MANCHEVSKI ACTUALITY /// THE RAIN CAN MEAN TWO THINGS; IN EITHER CASE, IT MEANS THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING NEW .. BUT THAT COULD BE TRAGIC AND DEADLY OR IT COULD BE CLEANSING AND SOMETHING THAT BRINGS RE-BIRTH. THE RAIN IN THE TITLE AND THE FEELING OF WAITING FOR THE RAIN THAT PERVADES THE FILM COULD MEAN EITHER ONE OR BOTH. /// END ACTUALITY /// /// OPT /// /// "BEFORE THE RAIN" ACTUALITY /// (MACEDONIAN/NO TRANSLATION) "THEY WON'T START SHOOTING HERE. PEOPLE ARE PEACEFUL." "THEY USED TO SAY THAT ABOUT BOSNIA AND NOW THE WORLD IS WATCHING A CIRCUS." /// END ACTUALITY /// /// END OPT /// "BEFORE THE RAIN," THE FIRST FEATURE FILM BY MILCHO MANCHEVSKI, WON THE CANNES FILM FESTIVAL GOLDEN LION AWARD. A SOMETIMES-HILARIOUS, SOMETIMES GRIM, SOMETIMES SHOCKING COMEDY GIVES CUBA ITS FIRST-EVER OSCAR NOMINATION: "STRAWBERRY AND CHOCOLATE:" /// OPT /// /// "STRAWBERRY AND CHOCOLATE" ACTUALITY /// (SPANISH/NO TRANSLATION) "IT'S MY LUCKY DAY. I'M FINDING WONDERFUL THINGS." /// END ACTUALITY /// THE FILM DIRECTED BY TOMAS GUTIERREZ ALEA AND JUAN CARLOS TABIO IS BASED ON A SENEL PAZ SHORT STORY -- "THE WOLF, THE FOREST AND THE NEW MAN" -- AND TELLS THE STORY OF THE UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN A NAIVE COLLEGE STUDENT RAISED BY THE HAVANA GOVERNMENT'S IDEOLOGICAL LINE AND A GAY [HOMOSEXUAL] ART CURATOR WHO GETS HIM TO QUESTION THOSE BELIEFS: /// OPT /// /// "STRAWBERRY AND CHOCOLATE" ACTUALITY /// (SPANISH/NO TRANSLATION) "WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IN?" "CUBA." "SO DO I .. SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT IT. I DON'T WANT AMERICANS OR ANYBODY COMING HERE TELLING US WHAT TO DO." /// END ACTUALITY /// /// END OPT /// WITH ITS BITING COMMENTARY ON LIFE IN SOCIALIST CUBA, "STRAWBERRY AND CHOCOLATE" HAS BECOME THE SUBJECT OF CONTROVERSY: IS IT A SIGN OF NEW FREEDOM? OR IS IT CAREFULLY-CRAFTED PROPAGANDA, APPROVED BY THE CASTRO GOVERNMENT: /// OPT /// /// "STRAWBERRY AND CHOCOLATE" ACTUALITY /// (SPANISH/NO TRANSLATION) "ART MAKES YOU FEEL AND THINK. ART DOES N-O-T TRANSMIT. THE GOVERNMENT RADIO DOES THAT." /// END ACTUALITY /// /// END OPT /// "STRAWBERRY AND CHOCOLATE," A CUBAN-SPANISH-MEXICAN CO-PRODUCTION, HAS WON TOP PRIZE AT THE HAVANA FILM FESTIVAL AND THE SILVER BEAR AWARD AT THE BERLIN FESTIVAL. "STRAWBERRY AND CHOCOLATE" FROM CUBA .. MACEDONIA'S "BEFORE THE RAIN" ... "BURNT BY THE SUN" FROM RUSSIA ... THE BELGIAN "FARINELLI: IL CASTRATO" ... "EAT, DRINK, MAN, WOMAN" FROM TAIWAN: ONE OF THOSE NAMES WILL BE UNSEALED FROM THE ENVELOPE MARKED "BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM" WHEN HOLLYWOOD'S TOP ANNUAL HONORS, THE ACADEMY AWARDS, ARE PRESENTED MONDAY NIGHT [3/27]. (SIGNED) NEB/ADS/KK/LWM 23-Mar-95 9:39 PM EST (0239 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America ------------------------------------------------------------------------------