International Feature: Indonesia, Malawi, Malta, and Slovakia submit
Friday, October 15, 2021 at 10:51AM More entries announced!
INDONESIA
Indonesia will send Kamila Andini's Yuni a drama about a teenage girl who rejects a marriage proposal. But the proposals keep coming and culturally she's supposed to accept...
MALAWI
They have chosen the drama Fatsani - Tale of Survival about an abused young girl who sells bananas on the street. It's in English and Nyanja. This is a debut feature for a young filmmaker named Gift Sukez Sukali who previously worked in location management and producing documentaries.
MALTA
Malta will send a black-market fishing drama Luzzu. It's a feature debut from director Alex Camilleri. Luzzu is currently in US release from Kino Lorber!
SLOVAKIA
Peter Kerekes's 107 Mothers could be a strong contender for a nomination. It's a narrative feature which at times plays like a documentary, set in a maternity ward in a Ukranian prison for violent offenders. The convicts see their babies for just a couple of hours a day. The narrative mostly focuses on one prisoner (and her toddler boy) and one prison guard. Reviewed at Venice.
You can see the submission charts (freshly updated) and predictions at TFE and follow along on Letterboxd here if you'd like.
Reader Comments (7)
I just saw Yuni last night. It is very good. I would imagine it might be a contender for the shortlist (if perhaps a bit too slight for a nomination). Would it be the first Indonesian film to make it that far? It effectively delves into a young Indonesian girl's life by exploring the tension between the pressure to marry (and provide for one's family with a dowry) versus the desire to seek an education and make one's way in the world.
After reading the descriptions of Yuni, I have no idea how anyone could possibly describe it as "slight". Thanks for exposing the sexist prejudices around us, I guess.
Cash - Perhaps you should see the movie before you resort to ad hominems. A lot of movies purport to deal with sexism, but not all of them are entirely successful.
Jules -- So it's not successful at dealing with sexism? I thought you said it was very good. Is it both not successful and very good?
Jules -- And, yes, I would love to see the film. I'm just so confused by your position(s).
@ jules
Yes, if Yuni made the final ten, it would be the furthest an Indonesian film has gotten.
PRAYING ALL THE BEST FOR YUNI!!!
I'm an Indonesian and even that film has not been released here.
It should be noted too that it won the Platform prize at TIFF.