04/11/2002

Russia chose to be represented by Andrei Konchalovsky’s Dom Durakov (House of Fools), the winner of the Jury Award at the 59th Venice Film Festival. Belgium went for Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne's Le Fils (The Son), a French-language drama that was first presented in Cannes, where the protagonist Olivier Gourmet won the best actor award. This is the second time a film by the brothers Dardenne has been chosen to represent Belgium, the first was Rosetta in 1999.
Germany will be represented by Caroline Link’s Nowhere in Africa, the winner of 5 LOLAS at the 2002 German Film Awards, including best film and director. Nowhere in Africa won critical and popular acclaim at numerous international events, as well as important awards like the jury's special award and the Fipresci at Karlovy Vary; best feature at the Jerusalem Film Festival and the Audience Award at the 10th edition of the Hamptons International Film Festival. In German theatres alone Nowhere in Africa has taken around Euros 8 million.
. France chose François Ozon’s popular 8 Women, starring eight of country’s most celebrated actresses headed by Catherine Deneuve and Fanny Ardant.
The Hungarian selectors decided on Hukkle by a young director called Gyorgy Palfi who won the New Directors’ Award in San Sebastian while Romania came out in favour of Occident by Christian Mungiu, first presented in Critics Week in Cannes.
The Dutch candidate is Zus & Zo by Paula van der Oest.

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