21/09/2005

An independent expert jury chaired by Antonio Exacoustos has just chosen Sophie Scholl – The Final Days [+see also:
trailer
film profile], by Marc Rothemund, as the German entry in the race for Oscar nominations for 2006 as Best Foreign Film. This biographical fiction about a young student who, throughout the process which starts with her arrest and ends with her execution, stands bravely for the anti-nazi convictions of her secret group, the 'White Rose', is a vibrant expression of what Sartre or Malraux said about resistance being the proof of our ultimate freedom to always say 'no'. The emotional power of this film, produced by the Munich-based companies Neue Goldkind and Broth Film (and supported by the FFA, BKM, and the Region of Bavaria), is such that Sophie Scholl was granted two Silver Bears (Best Direction and Best Actress for Julia Jentsch) after its premiere in Berlin in February 2005, and so starting a long series of successes in over 20 film festivals. In Germany, where the film was released on 2/24/2005 by X-Verleih, 1.2 million tickets were sold, an enthusiasm which apparently encouraged foreign distributors to buy it since Bavaria Film International has now sold the film to 30 territories.
On 1/31/2006, the AMPAS (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) will elect the five final nominees and decide whether Rothemund's film will be present next March at the awards ceremony or not.

Germany is also represented by the French entry Merry Christmas [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Christian Carion
interview: Christophe Rossignon
film profile], by Christian Carion, co-produced by Senator Film in Berlin and interpreted, notably, by Benno Fürmann and Diane Krüger.

Finally, amongst the nine German short films selected for the Ottawa International Animation Film Festival, which is starting today and will be held until Sunday, those in competition for the Grand Prize Best Independent Short Film/Video (Bob Log III's Electric Fence Story, by Tinka Stock and Sébastien Wolf; Dying of Love, by Gil Alkabetz; Bowtie Duty for Square Heads, by Stephan-Flint Müller) have a chance to qualify for the pre-selection for the Short Film Oscar, if they win the Prize.

(Translated from French)