Brazil & Czech Republic's Oscar submission finalists

by Nathaniel R

The Czech Republic Oscar committe is considering 14 films while in Brazil the Academia Brasileira de Cinema have announced 6 films being considered for their Oscar submission.  They are as follows...

UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR BRAZIL

Charcoal by Carolina Markowicz
This drama about a family in crisis and a Argentinian druglord who makes them an offer is playing at TIFF next month. 

Mars One by Gabriel Martins
This drama about a black family's troubles in the wake of a right-wing politician being elected debuted at Sundance and has been doing the festival circuit since. It's won prizes at LA Outfest and the San Francisco Film Festival. Cláudio calls it "subtly radical humanistic cinema"

The Mother by Cristiano Burlan
A drama about a woman on a quest to bury her son who was killed by police

Pacified by Paxton Winters
This drama first played festivals in 2019. Perhaps it waited out the entirety of COVID for a release at home? It's about a teenage girl and her ex-con father after the Rio Olympics

Paloma by Marcelo Gomes
A drama about a trans woman who wants a traditional wedding which a local priest has denied her. It was released in Brazil in May. Gomes is the only director in this shortlist to have previously been submitted by Brazil. His film Cinema, Aspirin, and Vultures was a submission back in 2006.

Pedro, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by Laís Bodanzky
A 19th century biopic about Dom Pedro I "The Liberator". Cauã Reymond stars.

The Brazil-focused documentary The Territory, playing in US theaters to rave reviews, isn't on the list and we assume that's because the project is too American given its creative team and funding. But according to both Glenn and Cláudio you should see it if you get a chance. 

UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR THE CZECH REPUBLIC

The Czech Republic is looking at a lot of biopics and mostly films that haven't yet opened at festivals or at home so there's little info about the films as of yet. As with Brazil, only one of the directors has already had Oscar submission experience. 

Arvéd by Vojtěch Mašek
This one's a fascinating figure in early 20th century Czechoslovakia, a son of nobility he was fluent in several languages and a political radical with interest in the occult. What a cool poster!

Bethlehem Night by Jan Svěrák
A comedic fantasy about a writer and the characters he's created. Svěrákon this Oscar category when he was just 32 for Kolya (1996). He was also submitted for his film Dark Blue World (2001)

Borders of Love by Tomasz Winski
An erotic drama about a couple opening up their relationship

Buko by Alice Nellis
A dramedy that's due to open at the end of September at home.

Il Boemo by Petr Václav
Vojtech Dyk stars in this biopic about a violinist/composer commissioned to write an opera

Indian by Tomás Svoboda
A comedy but we're not sure what this one is about

Jan Koller by Petr Vetrovsky
This is a documentary about the football (soccer) star

The Last Race by Tomás Hodan
Another biopic, this one about  champion skiiers in the early 20th century

Nightsiren by Tereza Nvotová
We assumed this one would be Slovakia's entry but apparently it's a co-production with Czech Republic. It's a drama about a woman accused of witchcraft. It won the Emerging Filmmaker Golden Leopard at Locarno

Ordinary Failures by Cristina Grosan
A sci-fi drama about three ordinary women whose lives are turned upside down

Princ Mamánek by Jan Budař
We believe this translates to Prince Mommy? A 39 year old pampered prince (played by the writer/director) who is scared of everything and too close to the queen is sent out in the world to live as a commoner in this family comedy.

Shadowplay by Peter Bebjak
A thriller about a man pursuing the criminal who killed his wife. Bebjak has previously been submitted twice to the Oscars, but from Slovakia, not the Czech Republic. His previous submissions were The Line (2017) and The Auschwitz Report (2020).

Slovo (or His Word, Her Word) by Beata Parkanová
A drama about a marriage at the end of the 1960s

Somewhere Over the Chemtrails by Adam Koloman Rybanský
A comedy about racism? A firefighter blames an Arab man when a person is injured by a car at a party. This one played Berlinale earlier in the year.

Victim by Michal Blasko
A debut film in which a woman begins to spot inconsistencies in her son's story about being attacked.

Both Brazil and Czech Republic have had finalists in the past 15 years or so but it's been a long time since their last nominations, which were for Central Station (!998) and Zelary (2003), respectively. 

Updated Oscar Charts 
Pg 1 - Albania through Greece
Pg 2 - Haiti through Norway
Pg 3 - Palestine through Vietnam
Current Predictions

Comments

[Lucky]

I was in the San Sebastián Film Festival when Pacified won. It’s a good movie and it played really well there, but I have trouble seeing it being selected

[Lucky]

I was in the San Sebastián Film Festival when Pacified won. It’s a good movie and it played really well there, but I have trouble seeing it being selected