PremiumFrom Anatomy of a Fall to Society of the Snow - Oscar 2024 nominations showcase a new record set by foreign-language films
The Oscar 2024 nominations were revealed on Jan 23 this year. While Barbie, Oppenheimer, and Poor Things bagged the highest number of nominations, the non-English films proved their worth as well.
Last Updated: 02.05 PM, Jan 28, 2024
The much-anticipated Oscar 2024 nominations were revealed on January 23, 2024, at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Streamed live all over the world, the nominations revealed 13 nods for Oppenheimer, 11 for Poor Things, 10 for Killers of the Flower Moon, and 8 for Barbie. But the foreign-language films are not far behind. At least not anymore.
The historic record set at Oscar 2024 by 'foreign' films
The 2015 #OscarsSoWhite campaign, kickstarted by writer-cum-activist April Reign as a protest against the Academy’s inability to recognize and appreciate the cinematic achievements of the people of color, has finally seen some consistency in result. The campaign did see Parasite make history in 2020 by being the first non-English language film to win the Best Picture category. But this year marks another first.
This year, the Oscars saw three international, non-English language films make it to the final list of contenders for the Best Picture crown, a monumental moment in the history of Cinema and the Academy. Anatomy of a Fall (directed by French director Justine Triet), The Zone of Interest (created by British director Jonathan Glazer), and Past Lives (made by South Korean director Celine Song) have received numerous nominations, including the Best Picture category.
The performance of the top non-English films of the year at Oscar 2024 nominations
Anatomy of a Fall bagged 5 nominations at the Oscars 2024 in Best Picture, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Editing. The Zone of Interest also received 5 nominations in Best Picture, Best Director, Best Sound, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film. As for Past Lives, it has 2 nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.
Another worthy non-English language contender at the Oscars this year is Society of the Snow. Shortlisted in 4 categories, the Spanish adaptation of the ill-fated 1972 Andes plane crash received 2 nominations in Best International Feature Film and Best Makeup and Hair Styling. The film has been trending on Netflix since its debut on January 4, 2024, and for all the good reasons.
While accepting the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film in 2020, Parasite director Bong Joon Ho had joked that once people overcome the inch-tall barrier of subtitles, they will be introduced to amazing, never-seen-before projects. Now, Society of the Snow and the other Oscar 2024 contenders prove that merit and mettle eventually triumph over privilege in the long run.