Russia, Hungary, Paraguay Select Foreign Language Oscar Hopefuls

Russia, Hungary and Paraguay have selected their Foreign Language Oscar hopefuls.

Hungary has chosen Venice Film Festival Competition drama Sunset from director Laszlo Nemes who won the Foreign Language Oscar in 2016 for Son Of Saul. Sony Classics handles Sunset, which is set in Budapest on the brink of World War I.

Juli Jakab (Son Of Saul) stars as a young woman orphaned at an early age, who arrives in the city looking for work at a successful hat store that used to belong to her parents. Repelled by the new owner, she becomes embroiled in a mystery surrounding her long-lost brother.

Meanwhile, Russia has selected Sobibor as its choice in the category. Konstantin Khabensky’s World War II film is based on the true story of an uprising in the Sobibor Nazi extermination camp in 1943, led by Soviet officer Alexander Pechersky. The pic was released in Russia in May, taking $5M at the local box office.

The Paraguayan Academy of Film Arts and Sciences has gone for Marcelo Martinessi’s The Heiresses. Martinessi’s debut film premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, where it won three awards, including the Silver Bear for best actress for Ana Brun. The film tells the story of a withdrawn, middle-aged gay woman who is forced to navigate a life separated from her partner of 30 years.

Below is the updated list of Foreign Language Oscar hopefuls.

2019 Foreign Language Film Oscar Submissions

• • Austria – The Waldheim Waltz – Ruth Beckermann
  • Belarus – Crystal Swan – Darya Zhuk
  • Belgium – Girl – Lukas Dhont
  • Colombia– Birds of Passage, Cristina Gallego & Ciro Guerra
  • Croatia – The Eighth Commissioner – Ivan Salaj
  • Ecuador – A Son Of Man – Jamaicanoproblem and Pablo Agüero
  • Estonia – Take It Or Leave It – Liina Trishkina-Vanhatalo
  • Finland – Euthanizer – Teemu Nikin
  • Georgia – Namme – Zaza Khalvashi
  • Germany – Never Look Away – Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
  • Hungary – Sunset – Laszlo Nemes
  • Israel – The Cakemaker – Ofir Raul Grazier
  • Japan – Shoplifters – Hirokazu Kore-eda
  • Kosovo – The Marriage – Blerta Zeqiri
  • Latvia – To Be Continued – Ivars Seleckis
  • Lithuania – Wonderful Losers: A Different World – Arunas Matelis
  • Luxembourg – Gutland – Govinda Van Maele
  • Netherlands – The Resistance Banker – Joram Lürsen
  • Norway – What Will People Say – Iram Haq
  • Palestine – Ghost Hunting – Raed Andoni
  • Paraguay – The Heiress – Marcelo Martinessi
  • Romania – I Do Not Care If We Go Down In History As Barbarians – Radu Jude
  • Russia – Sobibor – Konstantin Khabensky
  • Serbia – Offenders – Dejan Zecevic
  • Singapore – Buffalo Boys – Mike Wiluan
  • Slovakia – The Interpreter – Martin Sulik
  • South Korea – Burning – Lee Chang-dong
  • Spain – Champions – Javier Fesser
  • Sweden – Border – Ali Abbasi
  • Switzerland – Eldorado – Markus Imhoof
  • 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