by Nathaniel R
India and Iceland have selected their Oscar submissions choosing Last Film Show and Beautiful Beings respectively. Neither title was the highest profile option. India had a much-loved crossover hit in the US this year with RRR (now streaming on Netflix) which brought Bollywood spectacle and ridiculous (in a fun way) action exuberance to the big screen. It grossed nearly $12 million in the US which is more than some English language Oscar winning pictures recenty! India's last nomination was way back in 2001 with Lagaan which, like RRR, was a very mainstream epic with musical numbers...
It's strange that India doesn't play into their populist strengths when it comes to Oscar submissions since not every country makes the kind of films that India is best know for, internationally speaking...
Which is not to say that everything needs to scream "Bollywood!" since Indian cinema is much broader than that but it feels like it's been a long time since they submitted a film that played into what they're most famous for around the world.
Meanwhile Iceland has selected Beautiful Beings (it's on the European Film Awards Long List) when many assumed they'd send Godland which had received strong reviews and centers on a Danish priest living in Iceland. The moral is: you just never know what countries are going to submit!
Seven more titles were also announced...
Lithuania went with Pilgrims
Moldova is sending Carbon
New Zealand chose Muru which stars Cliff Curtis (Fear the Walking Dead, Avatar Way of Water)
Palestine went with Mediterranean Fever as we expected
Serbia chose Darkling
Tanzania and Uganda, both planning to submit for the first time, are going with Tug of War and Tembele respectively.