2020 Oscars: 25 Best International Feature Film Contenders Part 2 – Denmark, France, Germany, Israel and Italy

Welcome to ‘25 Best International Feature Film Contenders That Are Not Parasite,’ a 5-part series by Carlos Aguilar, his first for AwardsWatch. In this series, Carlos will examine the 25 most likely contenders to make the 10-film shortlist then the final five that will earn Oscar nominations based on the films he’s seen, gut instinct, and conversations with voters and other industry professionals. Yesterday was Algeria, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia and Czech Republic. Next up: Denmark, France, Germany, Israel and Italy.

Deservingly, Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite has attained a nearly unanimous front-runner status not only for the Best International Feature Film Academy Award, but likely for nominations across multiple categories including Best Picture. The devilishly satisfying thriller has joined an elite club of movies in a foreign language that have entered the industry’s general consciousness (e.g. Roma, Amour, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon).

At this point listing Joon-ho’s masterwork as a candidate for anything less than a win feels redundant, so we’ve chosen to focus on what other countries have put forward this year.

Propelled by awards-minded screenings, FYC ads on the trades, and word of mouth from one member to another, a substantial list of titles among the 91 entries still in contention (after Nigeria and Austria were disqualified for containing more English-language dialogue than the Academy allows) have emerged as possibilities for the December 16 shortlist.

While there’s no certainty on how the general and executive committees will vote, there are films that have continuously generated interest throughout the season beyond South Korea’s surefire stunner. The collection of submissions provides, quite literally, a world of stories, and the 10 finalists could shape up with more interesting variations than those many pundits have mapped out up to now. Let us expand the conversation.

Here are the five more entries we’d like to highlight as potential contenders:

Denmark – Queen of Hearts

Dir. May el-Toukhy

The Scandinavian country holds one of the best track records with four nomination and one win this decade alone, which should make voters at least curious to know what the Danes have to offer every year. El-Toukhy’s superbly acted and morally complex drama about the forbidden attraction between a married woman and her teenage stepson received raves at home despite its controversial subject matter. Acclaimed actress Trine Dyrholm (In a Better World, A Royal Affair) delivers a powerhouse performance as a woman unraveling that’s impossible to ignore. At Sundance 2019, Queen of Hearts won the Audience Award in the World Cinema – Dramatic category.

France – Les Misérables

Dir. Ladj Ly

Chosen to represent France instead of critical favorite Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Ly’s timely social thriller stands as one of the most acclaimed first features of the year after receiving the Jury Prize at Cannes. Tackling racism, police brutality, and economic inequality, Les Misérables follows three police officers tasked with patrolling marginalized neighborhoods. Faced with a multitude of incidents, including one caused by their biases and negligence, the trio becomes the target of a segment of the population that has felt alienated and oppressed for far too long. Often exhilarating and occasionally insightful, Ly’s debut is accessible with an edge. Amazon Studios picked up rights for the film and has been strongly campaigning it.  

Germany – System Crasher

Dir. Nora Fingscheidt

The effectiveness of this social realist work hinges on the stunning turn by young star Helena Zengel. She plays 9-year-old Benni, a girl whose excessive energy and psychotic episodes have deemed her a problematic child for Germany’s child protective services system. Fingscheidt, who is poised to direct Sandra Bullock in an upcoming Netflix drama, crafted a moving portrait of a young life whose mental state is in shambles as result of trauma. Compassionate and naturalistic, System Crasher connects on an emotional level without suffering from empty sentimentality. The film premiered at the Berlinale where it too home Alfred Bauer Prize.

Israel – Incitement

Dir. Yaron Zilberman

Zilberman’s follow up to the star-studded, English-language A Late Quartet takes him into a much darker path. His political saga focuses on Yigal Amir, a religious fanatic who murdered Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995. The tense character study sees Amir, who came from an Orthodox Yemenite Jewish family, slowly become radicalized and isolating himself from those who didn’t share his extreme views. Although the killer serves as protagonist, Zilberman refrains from absolving or denouncing him and instead attempts to analyze his dangerously misguided motivations. Incitement won the top prize at Israel’s Ophir Awards, which automatically qualified it as the country’s Oscar submission.

Italy- The Traitor

Dir. Marco Bellocchio

Mafia infighting and courtroom drama make the veteran auteur’s latest crime epic a candidate with Oscar-friendly qualities. Based on the life of real mobster turned informant Tommaso Buscetta (played by Pierfrancesco Favino), who was part of the Sicilian illicit organization Cosa Nostra, the expansive movie begins just as the high-ranking offender becomes aware that his fall from grace is imminent. Bellocchio, who also co-wrote the screenplay, trails Buscetta from Italy to Brazil to the United States as he chooses to testify against his former accomplices. Working with a large ensemble cast, the director showcases the accumulated experience that positions him as a modern master. Another advantage is that The Traitor is a Sony Pictures Classics release.

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Originally from Mexico City, Carlos Aguilar was chosen as one of 6 young film critics to partake in the first Roger Ebert Fellowship organized by RogerEbert.com, the Sundance Institute and Indiewire in 2014. Aguilar’s work has appeared in prestigious publications such as Los Angeles Times, The Wrap, Indiewire, Vulture, RogerEbert.com, MovieMaker Magazine, Remezcla, Filmmaker Magazine, Variety Latino, Slate, Bustle, Americas Quarterly, among others. He is a member of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA).