Following in the footsteps of its prestigious predecessor – Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s The Lives of Others [trailer, film focus] (winner of the 2007 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar) – Hamburg-based Turkish-born director Fatih Akin’s The Edge of Heaven [trailer, film focus] has been chosen to represent Germany as one of the potential nominees for the same category at the upcoming Academy Awards.

The title – which according to the director is a sequel to Head-On [trailer] (the film that launched him onto the international scene) – premiered at Cannes in May (see article), where it won Best Screenplay and the Ecumenical Jury Prize.
The German Films jury that selected the film commented on its decision by stating: "Set against the backdrop of political and cultural differences in a globalised world, here is a story of love and family between Germans and Turks". The jury was won over by "[the film’s] dramatic construction and visual and sensual organisation". A delighted Akin quipped: “What luck Tom Tykwer directed Perfume [trailer] in English!".

The Edge of Heaven has already been sold by The Match Factory [trailer] to over 50 territories, including France, Italy, Spain and the UK, according to German Films. Pandora Filmverleih will distribute the title in Germany on September 20.

The Oscar nominees will be unveiled on January 22. The ceremony will be held in Los Angeles on February 24.