Two African films compete for Foreign Language Oscar

 Two African films, Outside the Law from Algeria and Life Above All from South Africa are among the 9 films that will advance to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 83rd Academy Awards. They were selected from 66 films that qualified in the category.

  Rachid Bouchareb’s “Outside the Law,” is the French-Algerian film that annoyed French Prime Minister Nicolas Sarkozy’s political party, who wanted the film banned at the last Cannes Film Festival, because “it denigrates France and the French military.”

Brief Story Of The Films

  “Outside the Law”, tells the story of three brothers who fought for Algeria’s independence from France after World War II. After

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losing their family home in Algeria, three brothers were scattered across the globe. Messaoud joined the French army fighting in Indochina; Abdelkader became a leader of the Algerian independence movement; whilst Said moved to Paris to make his fortune in the shady clubs and boxing halls of Pigalle. Gradually, their interconnecting destinies reunited them in the French capital, where freedom is a battle to be fought and won.

  “Life, Above All” is an emotional and universal drama about a young girl who fought the fear and shame that  poisoned her community. It was directed by South African filmmaker Oliver Schmitz who adapted the international award winning novel “Chanda’s Secrets” by Allan Stratton.

Chanda, 16, is a smart and determined South African girl on track to win a scholarship – but she’s suddenly thrust into an impossible situation, forcing her to adopt maturity beyond her years. When we first meet her, she’s making funeral arrangements for her sister, Sara. when people begin to suspect that Sara’s death was due to more than a passing flu, Chanda will be faced with shame and stigma, not only for the victim, but also for their entire family.

When Lilian’s (Chanda’s mother) illness becomes impossible to hide, their nosy, eccentric next-door neighbor, Mrs. Tafa, engages a spirit doctor to perform a startling ritual. The spirit doctor determines that a curse is hanging over her and her children. In order to lift it,
Lilian must return to the village from where she was banished decades before, leaving Chanda alone to care for her siblings.

The nominated films in the foreign film category are

Algeria, “Outside the Law”), Rachid Bouchareb, director;
Canada, “Incendies,” Denis Villeneuve, director;
Denmark, “In a Better World,” Susanne Bier, director;
Greece, “Dogtooth,” Yorgos Lanthimos, director;
Japan, “Confessions,” Tetsuya Nakashima, director;
Mexico, “Biutiful,” Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, director;
South Africa, “Life, above All,” Oliver Schmitz, director;
Spain, “Tambien la Lluvia” (“Even the Rain”), Iciar Bollain, director;
Sweden, “Simple Simon,” Andreas Ohman, director.