The National Cinematography Center (CNC) announced this Wednesday, September 18, that it chose the musical Emilia Perez, by Jacques Audiard, to represent France in the best foreign film category at the Oscars ceremony in March 2025. The French nomination must then be sent to the Academy of Fine Arts, which will announce on January 17, 2025 which countries have been nominated in this category.
Shot in Spanish, between dark thriller and choreography to the sound of reggaeton, this film tells the story of a Mexican drug trafficker who changes his life and becomes a woman. It won the Jury Prize at the last Cannes Film Festival and also won a collective acting award for Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and the transgender lead actress Karla Sofía Gascón.
Last year, the commission in charge of choosing the French candidate was harshly criticized for having preferred The passion of Dodin Bouffantfrom Tran Anh Hung, to the candidate expected by many, Anatomy of a fall.The Palme d’Or at Cannes and success in France and abroad. In the end, France was not selected to compete in the category of best foreign film. The episode led to a profound renewal of the commission of professionals in charge of choosing the French candidate.
Now made up of ten gender-equal film professionals (including one of the producers ofAnatomy of a fall.) and chaired by Charles Tesson, former head of the Cannes Critics’ Week, the commission last week shortlisted four films. In addition to Jacques Audiard’s film, The Count of Monte Cristoone of the biggest theatrical hits of the year, as well as two more confidential films, Mercy by Alain Guiraudie and Everything we imagine as lightby young Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia, were in the running.
