Belgian filmmaker Johan Grimonprez's 'Soundtrack to a Coup d’État' has been nominated for an Oscar in the Best Documentary Feature category, the Academy announced on Thursday.
'Soundtrack to a Coup d’État' (2024) is the story of how the US and Belgium conspired to assassinate Patrice Lumumba, one of Africa's most popular political leaders of the 1960s. The documentary interweaves the unfolding of the assassination plot with America's use of jazz as soft power across the African continent.
The documentary was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Documentary Feature category on Thursday. The other nominees in this category are 'Black Box Diaries', 'No Other Land', 'Porcelain War' and 'Sugarcane'.
Three more Belgian nominations
Three more Belgian co-productions were nominated for Oscars on Thursday.
'Flow, the Cat Who No Longer Feared Water' has been nominated for two Oscars in the categories Best Animated Feature and Best International Feature Film. Directed by Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis, the film has already received global acclaim, notably winning the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature.
"These Oscar nominations are a tremendous reward for the director's boldness and the talent of the creative teams, with a proud Belgian contribution," said Belgian producer Grégory Zalcman stated. "For us, as producers, achieving such international recognition is a true honour. With 'Flow' now released in our cinemas, this nomination brings the film coveted visibility."
'Flow, the Cat Who No Longer Feared Water' film has been nominated. Credit: Belga / AFP
'Beautiful Men' directed by Nicolas Keppens was nominated for Best Animated Short Film.
'Emilia Pérez' has received 13 separate nominations, making it the most nominated non-English language film of all time.
This musical odyssey about the gender transition of a Mexican drug trafficker surpasses 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' (2000) and 'Roma' (2018), which previously held the record with ten nominations each.
The film is a Belgian coproduction, as choreographer Damien Jalet and production company Les Films du Fleuve are both Belgian. It dominated the Golden Globes in January, winning four awards including one for Best Comedy.
The 97th Academy Awards ceremony will take place on 2 March in Los Angeles.
