Oscars: Russia Enters Andrey Zvyagintsev’s ‘Loveless’ In Foreign Language Race
Russia has selected Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Cannes Jury Prize winner Loveless as its entry into the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar race. This is the director’s third time repping his country after 2003’s Venice Golden Lion winner The Return and 2014’s Leviathan. The latter took the Best Screenplay trophy in Cannes that year, as well as winning the Foreign Language Golden Globe and scoring an Oscar nomination.
Sony Pictures Classics acquired all North and Latin American rights to Loveless in the first domestic deal on a Competition title in Cannes in May.
Producer Alexander Rodnyansky told the Interfax news agency today that the Russian selection committee had chosen the film by “an overwhelming majority.” Rodnyansky earlier told Interfax he was “sure we have a shot” at winning. A family drama, it’s also critical of Russian society — much as was the case with Leviathan.
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Loveless revolves around Zhenya and Boris, who are going through a vicious divorce marked by resentment, frustration and recriminations. Already embarking on new lives, each with a new partner, they are impatient to start again, to turn the page – even if it means threatening to abandon their 12-year-old son Alyosha. But when Alyosha disappears after witnessing one of their fights, the pair must come together.
Loveless is co-written by Zvyagintsev and Oleg Negin. Producers are Non-Stop Production, Fetisoff Illusion, Why Not Production, Les Films du Fleuve and Senator Film Production with support from Eurimages, Arte, Canal+, WDR and Cine+. Wild Bunch has international sales.
Here’s the updated running list of submissions so far:
2017 Foreign Language Film Oscar Submissions
Albania – Day Break – Gentian Koçi
Algeria – Road to Istanbul – Rachid Bouchareb
Austria – Happy End – Michael Haneke
Azerbaijan – Pomegranate Orchard – Ilgar Najaf
Belgium – Racer and the Jailbird – Michaël R Roskam
Bosnia and Herzegovina – Men Don’t Cry – Alena Drljevića
Brazil – Bingo: King of the Mornings – Daniel Rezende
Bulgaria – Glory – Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov
Cambodia – First They Killed My Father – Angelina Jolie
Chile – A Fantastic Woman – Sebastian Lelio
Colombia – Guilty Men – Iván Gaona
Croatia – Quit Staring at My Plate – Hana Jušić
Czech Republic – Ice Mother – Bohdan Sláma
Denmark – You Disappear – Peter Schønau Fog
Dominican Republic – Woodpeckers – José Maria Cabral
Egypt – Sheikh Jackson – Amr Salama
Estonia – November – Rainer Sarnet
Finland – Tom of Finland – Dome Karukoski
France – BPM (120 Battements Par Minute) – Robin Campillo
Georgia – Scary Mother – Ana Urushadze
Germany – In the Fade – Fatih Akin
Greece – Amerika Square – Yannis Sakardis
Hong Kong – Mad World – Wong Chung
Hungary – On Body and Soul – Ildikó Enyedi
Iceland – Under the Tree – Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson
Iraq – The Dark Wind – Hussein Hussan
Ireland – Song of Granite – Pat Collins
Israel – Foxtrot – Samuel Maoz
Japan – Her Love Boils Bathwater – Ryota Nakano
Kosovo – Unwanted – Edon Rizvanolli
Kyrgyzstan – Centaur – Aktan Abdykalykov
Laos – Dearest Sister – Mattie Do
Latvia – The Chronicles of Melanie – Viestur Kairish
Lebanon – The Insult – Ziad Doueiri
Lithuania – Frost – Sarunas Bartas
Luxembourg – Barrage – Laura Schroeder
Mexico – Tempestad – Tatiana Huezo
Morocco – Razzia – Nabil Ayouch
Nepal – Seto Surya (White Sun) – Deepak Rauniyar
Netherlands – Lalya M – Mijke de Jong
Norway – Thelma – Joachim Trier
Pakistan – Saawan – Farhan Alam
Palestine – Wajib – Annemarie Jacir
Peru – Rosa Chumbe – Jonatan Relayze
Poland – Spoor – Agnieszka Holland
Portugal – Saint George – Marco Martins
Romania – The Fixer – Adrian Sitaru
Russia – Loveless – Andrey Zvyagintsev
Serbia – Requiem for Mrs J – Bojan Vuletić
Slovakia – The Line – Peter Bebjak
Slovenia – The Miner – Hanna Antonina Wojcik Slak
South Korea – A Taxi Driver – Jang Hoon
Spain – Summer 1993 – Carla Simon
Sweden – The Square – Ruben Östlund
Switzerland – The Divine Order – Petra Volpe
Taiwan – Small Talk – Huang Hui-chen
Thailand – By the Time It Gets Dark – Anocha Suwichakornpong
Turkey – Ayla: The Daughter of War – Ca Ulkay
Ukraine – Black Level – Valentyn Vasyanovych
United Kingdom – My Pure Land – Sarmad Masud
Venezuela – El Inca – Ignacio Castillo Cottin
Vietnam – Father and Son – Lương Đình Dũng
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