With “Close”, Lukas Dhont hopes to win the Oscar for best international film on Sunday evening at the 95th American Film Awards ceremony, held in Los Angeles. “I feel a bit nervous though. I haven’t slept very well, I have to be honest,” he confides.
The second feature film by the director from Ghent will face in the race for the statuette “In the West, nothing new” (Germany), “Argentina, 1985” (Argentina), “EO” (Poland) and “The Quiet Girl” (Ireland).
The new adaptation of “In the West, Nothing New”, a pacifist novel regarding the horror of the First World War, is a strong contender. Edward Berger’s film is nominated in nine categories, as is Martin McDonagh’s ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’. Only the crazy “Everything Everywhere All At Once” by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert does better, with 11 nominations.
“Close” won, during the recent Magritte du cinema ceremony, seven prizes, out of ten possible, including those for best screenplay, best Flemish film and best male hope for Eden Dambrine. The feature film was also awarded the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival last spring.
In this film shot at the height of children, two boys, Léo and Rémi, live a close friendship that will be upset by entering college and the looks of their peers. This is the eighth time that a Belgian feature film has been nominated for the Oscar for best international film. Before “Close” had also been in the running “Paix sur les champs” (1970), “Le Maître de musique” (1988), “Daens” (1992), “Farinelli” (1994), “Everybody’s Famous” (2000) , “Ox Head” (2011) and “Alabama Monroe” (2012). Lukas Dhont might become the first Belgian director to be rewarded in this category on Sunday evening.
