While it was not nominated for the Oscar for Best Foreign Film, “Anatomy of a Fall” by Justine Triet still won an award this Sunday, March 10.
France’s coronation at the Oscars took place, but not in the expected category. While it was not represented by the tricolor for the Best Foreign Film award, that did not prevent Anatomy of a fall to win a prize during the 96th ceremony, this Sunday March 10, 2024. Justine Triet’s film written jointly with her companion Arthur Harari won a statuette: that of Best Original Screenplay. The film was nominated five times.
When collecting her Oscar, the French director did not hide her emotion and her joy on the stage of the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles: “This Oscar will help me get through the midlife crisis, I think. case, it’s a crazy, extraordinary year. It’s very glamorous tonight and the glamor of tonight is in contrast to the beginning of this film. You know, we were at home, cooped up with our two children. C “It was confinement, it was during the coronavirus. And so we put our children in front of the TV, in front of cartoons. There was no separation between writing and diapers.”
Also receiving the award as co-writer, Arthur Harari continued: “And then there are two other people who intervened Marie-Ange [Luciani] and David [Thion], a woman and a man. And actually, that’s where things got a little crazy. And it was really this ping-pong that happened, especially between French people. But there was nothing between us or above us. There was total independence and freedom and it was the only way for us to make this film.” Subsequently, Justine Triet wanted to thank her casting. A new statuette is therefore added to Justine’s shelf Triet, after the Palme d’Or, two Golden Globes and 6 Césars.
No Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film
However, a coronation ofAnatomy of a fall was not necessarily obvious. If the Oscar for Best Screenplay was predicted by several observers, we cannot help but be bitter when wondering if Justine Triet’s film could have won that for Best Film, offering an unexpected victory after several decades of scarcity. But this trial film could not compete in this category because it was not chosen by France to represent the country.
It is a commission which designates France’s candidate for the Oscars. She chose The passion of Dodin Bouffant for the benefit ofAnatomy of a fall. This choice was made by professionals from the cinema industry, namely exporters Sabine Chemaly and Tanja Meissner, producers Patrick Wachsberger and Charles Gillibert, directors Olivier Assayas and Mounia Meddour and composer Alexandre Desplat.
The eviction ofAnatomy of a fall for the benefit of The passion of Dodin Bouffant, winner of the director prize at Cannes, questioned more than one. According to information from Variety, the final vote was close (4-3 in favor of The passion of Dodin Bouffant), and a second vote was refused to one of the members of the commission who had finally changed his mind. We do not know why Justine Triet’s film was not accepted by the commission, the producer of the feature film said “he does not believe in political intervention” following his controversial speech attacking the government in Cannes, the CNC also ensuring that “the commission to nominate France’s candidate for the Oscars designates its choice in complete independence”.