Several films with links to Belgium have been nominated to win an Oscar at the 97th Academy Awards. This list includes the much-discussed 'Emilia Pérez', co-produced by the production company of two Belgian brothers.
This year's Oscars, which will be presented on Sunday 2 March in the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, promise to deliver a thrilling evening. In the weeks ahead of the biggest event in the movie business, 'The Brutalist' by Brady Corbet, 'Anora' by Sean Baker and 'Conclave' by German filmmaker Edward Berger were all placed on the highest pedestal.
There are also several Belgian contenders for the coveted statuette, including the musical 'Emilia Pérez', co-produced by Les films du Fleuve, the production company of the Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. Brussels choreographer Damien Jalet also worked on it.
It walked away with 13 nominations – a record for a non-English language film – including for 'Best Leading Actress', 'Best Supporting Actress' and 'Cinematography', and seemed to have the race all but won.
A still of Selena Gomez in 'Emilia Pérez'. Credit: Belga
However, the Spanish-language film about a Mexican transgender drug lord has since faced setbacks after some old controversial tweets from lead actress Karla Sofía Gascón resurfaced, including some about Islam, the Oscars and Black Lives Matter. The film itself has also garnered criticism from LGBTQ+ advocates for its portrayal of the trans community.
Congo independence and animated films
'Emilia Pérez' is not the only Belgian co-production that will be represented at the most prestigious film awards in the world – there are several other Belgian contenders nominated for the highly-coveted prize. One of the stand-outs is 'Soundtrack to a Coup d'État', nominated in the 'Best Documentary' category.
This documentary by Belgian director Johan Grimonprez is about the turbulent years just before and after the independence of Congo and the murder of Patrice Lumumba, who was assassinated with Western complicity. Interwoven with this story is the international context of that time and how jazz and key musicians including Louis Armstrong and Nina Simone were unknowingly used in covert operations of cultural diplomacy.
Grimonprez wrote the script based on archive footage and historical music recordings, which appear in a staccato style in the documentary. It is told from the unique perspective of Andrée Blouin, a pioneer of female emancipation and independence in Africa. Blouin was an employee of Lumumba during his term as the country's first Prime Minister post-independence.
The documentary highlights how Louis Armstrong and others discovered they had become unwilling tools of the CIA. Credit: Still from film
Two Belgian films are on the short-list in the 'Best Animated Short Film' category, including 'Beautiful Men' by Nicolas Keppens, from the Flemish city of Aalst, and the Flemish co-production 'Wander to Wonder', a stop-motion film by Dutch filmmaker Nina Gantz.
Keppens' film tells the story of three brothers who travel to Istanbul for a hair transplant, combining humour with a subtle look at human insecurities. Meanwhile, Gantz's short stop-motion/live-action film follows the end of a once-beloved children's show, and how its three characters cope in the wake of their creator's passing.
The 'Best International Feature Film' category includes the Latvian-Belgian animated film 'Flow'. Brussels studio Take Five was involved in the post-production of the film about a kitten left behind in a world flooded by water. The film is also included in the 'Best Animated Film' category. It won a Golden Globe in this category earlier this year.
Finally, Dutch Victoria Warmerdam's 'I'm not a robot' was also nominated in the 'Best Live Action Short Film' category. The film is a co-production by Elsen production house The Y-house Films.
The Belgian entry for the Oscars, 'Julie Keeps Quiet', titled 'Julie Zwijgt' in Dutch, did not get shortlisted for 'Best International Feature Film' in mid-December.
