Well not that I would ever defend the Academy but keep in mind the

ENTIRE foreign film category is a joke that prevents ANY politically

sensitive film from being accepted even IF the Academy believes it comes

from a "real" country.

Firstly each country "officially" picks the ONE AND ONLY film to be

submitted by that country. If the film is controversial or the director

did not do enough brown nosing or Miramax is releasing a piece of shit from

the same country you are out of luck. Among the more infamous films NOT

eligible are RAN, EUROPA, EUROPA and virtually any controversial film from

China or Iran ( more on that later). My FAVORITE story about this rule is

that Miramax took out BIG ads pushing Il Postino for BEST PICTURE ( which

they got) by arguing that a "technicality" kept from being nominated in the

Best Foreign Film category. That "technicality " was that in rare bit of

good sense Italy nominated a MUCH better film L'America.



The SECOND and equally fun Academy rule is that the film MUST play at least

one week commercial run in its country of origin. Well great that knocks out

all those films BANNED in their own countries. In the case of "Divine

Intervention" Is it even POSSIBLE under current circumstances for this

film to play a commercial week in Palestine ( oops sorry we could only play

4 days before the city was put under 24 hour curfew)



And there are many other odd rules in this category involving the percentage

of the film actually attributable to a particular country which eliminates

films which may have been shot, & financed in multiple locations.



All in all , a RIDICULOUS category and no more so with Divine Intervention

than Ran

--

Jessica Rosner



> From: Ben Halligan <[log in to unmask]>

> Reply-To: Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>

> Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 19:03:05 -0000

> To: [log in to unmask]

> Subject: New Hollywood blacklist

>

>> The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of

>> Global Dialogue & Democracy

>>

>> The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Refuses

>> Palestinian Film to Enter the Oscar Race

>> By Al-Awda

>> December 07, 2002

>>

>> The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has refused to allow

>> any Palestinian-made films to enter into the Oscars foreign film race

>> because it does not accept Palestine as a "nation". The Palestinian

>> Authority tried to submit Elia Solaiman's film, "Divine Intervention", but

>> was refused, even though the film was highly awarded at the Cannes

>> Film Festival this year.

>>

>> Below is a response from a Hollywood Producer on this news lightly

>> mentioned in the film industry trade magazine, Variety.

>>

>> You may write/contact the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and

>> Sciences at:

>>

>> Academy Foundation

>> 8949 Wilshire Blvd.

>> Beverly Hills, CA 90211

>> Phone: 310-247-3000

>> Fax: 310-859-9351

>> www.oscars.org <http://www.oscars.org>

>> Email: [log in to unmask]

>>

>>

>>

>>

>> The Academy Goes to War with the Bush Administration in the

>> Oscar Race

>>

>> The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has decided to

>> refuse the Palestinian entry, "Divine Intervention", for the nomination

>> of Best Foreign Film, while accepting submissions from countries like

>> Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Chad.

>>

>> This decision has been expedited under the false pretext that the

>> Academy doesn't recognize Palestine as a nation. It would be

>> interesting to read the definition of "nation" as seen by the Academy of

>> Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

>>

>> What the Academy knows and therefore reminds everybody, is that the

>> government of each nation is allowed to submit one film to represent

>> its country. This more or less defines the right for a film to be

>> presented. Therefore, as long as the Palestinian government had

>> agreed to submit "Divine Intervention" by Elie Souleimane, the

>> Academy had no right to refuse to include it in the selection, unless the

>> Academy, sitting atop its unchallenged power and authority doesn't

>> recognize the Palestinian government. That would be unfortunate.

>>

>> Even the Bush administration, although they would prefer that such

>> government doesn't exist, was able to communicate and negotiate with

>> Palestine, thus recognizing its existence. If Palestine doesn't exist in

>> the movie world, why then was the same "Divine Intervention" selected

>> as a Palestinian entry at the Cannes Film Festival this year? I'm sure

>> that by now, Palestinian filmmakers - and there are a few, very

>> talented people - wonder what nationality they are. Israeli? How ironic!

>>

>> As we very well know, the Israeli government would never choose to

>> send to Hollywood, a Palestinian film to represent its country. So for

>> the Academy, it's probable that Palestinian films simply cannot be

>> submitted, denying in a way, their right to exist.

>>

>> Sounds familiar? Isn't it in the Constitution of the Academy, or at least

>> in its principles, to promote art without any distinction of race, religion

>> or politics? Well, sometimes, the Bush administration would use the

>> phrase "in times of war."

>>

>> Now that art has to be put to the service of politics, it seems to me that

>> the Academy and the entire Hollywood film industry has lost yet

>> another piece of its credibility.

>>

>> By Phil Ed for Au-Cinema.com <http://www.au-cinema.com/>

>> http://www.miftah.org

>>

>> ------- End of forwarded message -------

>

> ----

> Online resources for film/TV studies may be found at ScreenSite

> http://www.tcf.ua.edu/ScreenSite



----

Online resources for film/TV studies may be found at ScreenSite

http://www.tcf.ua.edu/ScreenSite