– There hasn’t been a situation like this for a very long time. Usually, when the Oscar committee meets, we complain that we have no one to nominate. This year, we had two very strong candidates to represent our country in the Oscar race – notes Artur Zaborski, who this year was the winner of the 15th edition of the Polish Film Institute Awards in the film criticism category.
“A film discussion about ‘The Green Border’ is no longer possible”
Zaborski is referring to the animated animation that received the nomination and the film by Agnieszka Holland. – Both films were shown at the Toronto festival, which is considered an event that is a harbinger of what will happen at the Oscars. The commission had a hard time deciding between “The Green Border” and “Peasants”. Both Agnieszka Holland, DK and Hugh Welchman were already nominated for an Oscar, so the matter was not made easier by the issue of the artist’s recognition in the USA, which was often an argument – he explains.
All my interlocutors emphasize that “Green Frontier” had to be a strong candidate for a long time, strongly discussed during the debates of the committee deciding which film would compete for a nomination for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award. They suspect that the campaign against “The Green Border” and its director, Agnieszka Holland, must have had an impact on these talks and their outcome.
I can imagine the pressure the committee was under. Because already at the festival in Gdynia, voices could be heard that due to the actions of the ruling camp, a film discussion about ‘The Green Border’ is no longer possible, because whatever is said about this film becomes an expression of political preferences. That’s why I’m not surprised that there are people who liked this film, but they preemptively criticize it in their reviews, and that there are people who didn’t like it, but are afraid to admit it, so as not to appear as Holland’s opponents, i.e. allies of the government, says Zaborski.
– I imagine that the members of the Oscar committee must also have felt the pressure that by not deciding to show “Green Border”, they would vote “against Holland”. And, as you can see from the heated comments online, many people perceived it that way. But it’s hard for me to believe that the filmmakers on the committee (each of them has experience with the Oscars) would be guided by politics and not the interests of Polish cinema – emphasizes Zaborski.
Anna Tatarska, in turn, believes that due to what is happening around Holland and her “The Green Border”, two titles took part in the final race for the “Oscar pass”: “Chłopi” and “” (“The Green Border” this year it was not entered into the main competition of the FPFF in Gdynia by the film’s producer due to the film’s failure to complete it on time). “Chłopi” had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), “Kos” has so far only been seen by viewers in Gdynia.
“Chłopi” is the Polish candidate for the Oscar. “Double Strike”
– The award-winning, critically beloved film Maślony would be a slightly riskier choice, but the repeated references to Tarantino in the reviews suggest that an international audience could understand and appreciate this charismatic film. I think that the committee chose a duo of artists who have already made a name for themselves abroad. Let us remind you that their “My Vincent” with the result of USD 42 million remains the highest-grossing Polish film abroad – notes Tatarska and adds:
Moreover, after their presence at the most important international festivals (including TIFF), the duo of Hugh and DK Welchman are mentioned as one of the favorites for nomination in the best animated film category. Such a double hit may increase the title’s chances for one statuette.
Still from the movie ‘Chłopi’: Jagna and Antek. Photo Next Movie
Katarzyna Czajka-Kominiarczuk, blogger and author of the book “Oscars. Secrets of the greatest film award”, also points out in an interview with Gazeta.pl that it is safe. He also adds “thoughtful” to this adjective. – First of all, the narrative around the creation of the film, the hours devoted to painting subsequent frames, allow you to create a good promotional campaign based on emphasizing the technical side. Secondly, we have here the use of a text that, although very Polish, is internationally known – he says, referring not only to the Nobel Prize for Reymont’s novel, but also to the recent, award-winning translation of “Peasants” into English.
Although Reymont wrote his most famous novel in the years 1901-1908, the creators of the new film adaptation wanted it to reach a modern audience. – “Chłopi”, as many reviewers have noted, deals with many topics that are very important in Poland today, such as patriarchy and women’s emancipation. It is also a film different from all others, a separate one. After the successes of “Persepolis” and “Przeżyć”, animations have fortunately lost the reductive label of being for children – emphasizes Tatarska, talking about the Polish candidate’s Oscar chances, and Czajka-Kominiarczuk points out that “” also defends itself as a universal story.
– Family disputes, love, betrayal, social stigma – these are universal problems, and such problems work well at the Oscars. At the same time, Polish cinematography is known and appreciated around the world for its approach to classic literature. The world expects a bit of this from us, says Czajka-Kominarczuk and adds:
I think any other choice would be difficult. ‘Kos’, awarded in Gdynia, has not had its premiere yet, but at the same time it is much more hermetic. In turn, ‘The Green Border’, although awarded in Venice, in my opinion could fail as an Oscar film – also due to the clear attitude of Americans towards immigration. Another problem would be the possible promotion of the film, which would take place in the shadow of a political dispute. I think the choice of ‘Peasants’ is safe, but at the same time it is a film that deserves to be entered into the competition and has a good chance of attracting attention.
– Already in Toronto, I talked to viewers and journalists from abroad who were delighted with the script of this film – says Zaborski about “Peasants” – It is not only an amazing form of painting that looks like the canvases of great painters like Chełmoński, but also perfectly selected moments from novels by Władysław Reymont, which rhyme brilliantly with the discussions we are having globally today. First of all, those about women’s rights to decide about themselves and their bodies, but also about capitalism and social disproportions, and even about how hate can destroy life. These are the topics universal, understood everywhere, that’s why “Chłopi” has a chance to become something more than a curiosity from Poland, you can see yourself in it not only in our country – the journalist agrees with her colleagues from the industry.
The critic also appreciates the Welchmans’ film, which was well received at the Toronto festival. He describes the nomination as expected, although he regrets that Holland will not represent Poland this year. – It seems that Agnieszka Holland’s film simply had a better chance of winning a statuette, not just a nomination. However, I keep my fingers crossed for “Chłopów” – he says. She also notes that the recognition of the creators thanks to the nomination for “Loving Vincent” is also important in this race.
A still from the movie ‘Chłopi’: wedding dance. Photo Next Movie
Now everything is in the hands of PR people. “They have proven in previous years that they can promote Polish cinema”
Małgorzata Steciak points out that the work on obtaining a nomination is only now starting, and then possibly the effort to win an Oscar. And that the road is not easy. – “Chłopi” is just starting its journey through festivals and we will see what its promotion will look like. If you had asked me a few years ago at the same moment what the chances of “Corpus Christi” were, I would also have wondered whether they were high. However, it turned out that the promotional team did a great job and promoted the film so fantastically that this nomination appeared. I hope it will be similar this time, because the film has a lot of potential. I think it can also gain a very interesting perspective from a foreign viewer – maybe someone will pay attention to Polish culture and bring out some details that are transparent to us when it comes to Reymont or painting,” he says. Steciak also points out:
The coming months will be crucial, because a lot depends on the efforts of our PR specialists and promotion experts, who have proven in previous years that they can promote Polish cinema.
Is “Chłopi” better than “The Green Border”? – Certainly not, they are primarily different films. So maybe the committee analyzed the nominations for films about refugees in recent years and it turned out that this is not a topic that resonates with Academy members? After all, even “Fuocoammare: Fire at Sea”, which won the Berlinale, did not win Gianfranco Rosi an Oscar? And in 2022, the film “Flee”, which is a documentary animation, was nominated for the first time in the history of the awards in three categories (animation, documentary, international film). So maybe focusing on a strong form is a better idea today, because in the flood of film productions we are all looking for something original and separate? – Artur Zaborski wonders. – “The Green Border” is undoubtedly an important film, touching on an extremely important problem. But in how many countries do committees think they are presenting a film on an important, burning topic? Probably many. However, it will be difficult to look for a formal gem like “Chłopi” elsewhere, he notes.
The titles of the Oscar-nominated films will be announced on January 23 next year. On December 21, 2023, we will find out which ones are on the so-called shortlists in individual categories. And in Polish cinemas, “Peasants”, whose media patron is Gazeta.pl, will be available to watch from October 13.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
