Foreign Film Oscar: Poland Selects ‘Cold War’, Hong Kong, India Choose

Poland has chosen Pawel Pawlikowski’s Cannes-winning black and white drama Cold War as its Oscar submission for Best Foreign Language Film.

The well-reviewed story of a fated Polish love affair set across Europe during the late 1950s and early 1960s, is among the favorites for the prize. It is Pawlikowski’s first film since 2014 pic Ida, which won the Foreign Language Oscar. Amazon will release stateside on Dec. 21.

“Cold War — artistically fulfilled, universal story of impossible love, inscribed in the turbulent history of 20th century Poland,” the Polish Oscar Committee stated in a press release. “Pawel Pawlikowski’s film captivates with its performance, excellent acting and unique use of Polish folk music motifs. The previous successes of the film on the international arena will certainly help in further promotional activities.”

Also entering the fray this week are Dante Lam’s blockbuster Operation Red Sea for Hong Kong, Rima Das’s Village Rockstars for India, Jahmil X.T. Qubeka’s Sew The Winter To My Skin for South Africa, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki-directed No Bed Of Roses for Bangladesh and Alexandra Latishev Salazar’s Medea for Costa Rica.

Check out the updated list of entries below.

2019 Foreign Language Film Oscar Submissions

Algeria – Until The End Of Time – Yasmine Chouikh
Austria – The Waldheim Waltz – Ruth Beckermann
Bangladesh – No Bed Of Roses – Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
Belarus – Crystal Swan – Darya Zhuk
Belgium – Girl – Lukas Dhont
Bolivia – Muralla – Rodrigo Patiño
Bosnia – Never Leave Me – Aida Begic
Brazil – The Great Mystical Circus – Carlos Diegues
Bulgaria – Omnipresent – Ilian Djevelekov
Cambodia – Graves Without A Name – Rithy Pan
Canada – Watch Dog – Sophie Dupuis
Chile – And Suddenly The Dawn – Silvio Caiozzi
Colombia– Birds of Passage, Cristina Gallego & Ciro Guerra
Costa Rica – Medea – Alexandra Latishev Salazar
Croatia – The Eighth Commissioner – Ivan Salaj
Czech Republic – Winter Flies – Olmo Omerzu
Denmark – The Guilty – Gustav Möller
Dominican Republic – Cocote – Nelson Carlo de los Santos
Ecuador – A Son Of Man – Jamaicanoproblem and Pablo Agüero
Egypt – Yomeddine – Abu Bakr Shawky
Estonia – Take It Or Leave It – Liina Trishkina-Vanhatalo
Finland – Euthanizer – Teemu Nikin
France – Memoir Of War – Emmanuel Finkiel
Georgia – Namme – Zaza Khalvashi
Germany – Never Look Away – Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Greece – Polyxeni – Dora Masklavanou
Hong Kong – Operation Red Sea – Dante Lam
India – Village Rockstars – Rima Das
Indonesia – Marlina The Murderer In Four Acts – Mouly Surya
Iraq – The Journey – Mohamed Al-Daradji
Iran – No Date, No Signature – Vahid Jalilvand
Israel – The Cakemaker – Ofir Raul Grazier
Japan – Shoplifters – Hirokazu Kore-eda
Kosovo – The Marriage – Blerta Zeqiri
Latvia – To Be Continued – Ivars Seleckis
Lebanon – Capernaum – Nadine Labaki
Lithuania – Wonderful Losers: A Different World – Arunas Matelis
Luxembourg – Gutland – Govinda Van Maele
Macedonia: Secret Ingredient – Gjorce Stavreski
Mexico – Roma – Alfonso Cuarón
Morocco – Burnout – Nour Eddine Lakhmari
Netherlands – The Resistance Banker – Joram Lürsen
Norway – What Will People Say – Iram Haq
Palestine – Ghost Hunting – Raed Andoni
Pakistan – Cake – Asim Abbasi
Panama – Ruben Blades Is Not My Name – Abner Benaim
Peru – Eternity – Oscar Catacora
Poland – Cold War – Pawel Pawlikowski
Portugal – Peregrinação – João Botelho
Romania – I Do Not Care If We Go Down In History As Barbarians – Radu Jude
Serbia – Offenders – Dejan Zecevic
Singapore – Buffalo Boys – Mike Wiluan
Slovakia – The Interpreter – Martin Sulik
Slovenia – Ivan – Janez Burger
South Africa – Sew The Winter To My Skin – Jahmil X.T. Qubeka
South Korea – Burning – Lee Chang-dong
Spain – Champions – Javier Fesser
Sweden – Border – Ali Abbasi
Switzerland – Eldorado – Markus Imhoof
Taiwan – The Grerat Buddha+ – Huang Hsin-Yao
Thailand – Malila: The Farewell Flower – Anucha Boonyawatana
Tunisia – Beauty And The Dogs – Kaouther Ben Hania
Turkey – The Wild Pear Tree – Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Ukraine – Donbass – Sergei Loznitsa
UK – I Am Not A Witch – Rungano Nyoni
Venezuela – The Family – Gustavo Rondon Cordova