Japanese movie True Mothers has been selected as an official entry in the 2021 Oscars. It will compete in the Best International Feature category.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, director Naomi Kawase’s family drama True Mothers is going for the next year’s Academy Awards. The Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan announced on Friday.
It made its entrance at the 2020 Cannes Film Festival as well. Unfortunately, the screening didn’t happen. The event canceled because of the pandemic. It then made its premiere at Toronto International Film Festival in September.
“True Mothers” film story and details
The film is based on a novel by Mizuki Tsujimura and shows the story of a middle-class couple. They try to take the help of an adoption agency upon realizing that they can’t conceive.
Their joy fades away when the child’s birth mother returns to take him back from them.
Film’s director Naomi Kawase made her first mark in 1997’s Cannes Film Festival with Suzaku. Now, it will be the first time when she will be making an entry into the Oscars.
Interestingly, it’s just the third instance of a Japanese film selected for the Academy Awards race. Before True Mothers, 2013’s Our Homeland, and 2015’s The Light Only Shines, There were chosen out of 67 submissions.
Speaking of the International Feature section, only 12 submissions are there so far from Japan in its Oscars history. Yōjirō Takita’s 2009 directorial Departures is the sole entry to have won in this category.
Early contenders and entries for 2021 Oscars
The Oscars race is already greenlit with many strong submissions even before the official nominations list is out.
Several countries have already made their entries in the International Feature section. Along with Japan, Canada also recently sent its entry. Funny Boy is the film going into the Academy awards to compete with potential contenders.
South Korea, a few days ago, also sent The Man Standing Next in the said category. The film’s director is Woo Min-ho, and the title stars actor Lee Byung-hun in a key role.
Meanwhile, many solid titles from many production studios eyeing a spot in the final nominations list.
Nomadland from Searchlight Pictures, The Trial of Chicago 7, and Mank from Netflix are rumored for the race. Early predictions also include movies One Night in Miami from Amazon Studios and The Father from Sony Pictures Classic.
However, it will be really engaging to see South Korea’s The Man Standing Next and Japan’s True Mothers competing at the Oscars. It will be a historic moment for both Asian countries.
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