German film shortlisted for foreign language film Oscar
Dagmar Breitenbach
December 15, 2017
Premiering in the US on December 27, Fatih Akin's "In the Fade" is on the shortlist for the Academy Awards' best foreign language film — one out of nine films selected for the category.
Image: Warner Bros.
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When the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced a shortlist of films selected in the category Best Foreign Language Film, and Germany's entry "In the Fade" by award-winning filmmaker Fatih Akin made it to the shortlist.
A record 92 countries submitted films this year. Five films are usually nominated for the foreign language Oscar. Nominees are to be announced on January 23. The award ceremony in Hollywood is on March 4, 2018.
Justice and revenge
The film is a thriller about a woman whose life collapses after the death of her husband and son in a bomb attack. The police arrest two suspects: a young neo-Nazi couple. And the woman seeks justice and revenge.
"In the Fade"celebrated its world premiere in competition at the 70th Cannes Film Festival, and leading actress Diane Kruger was honored as best actress.
Hamburg-based Akin Fatih has won numerous awards, including best screenplay in Cannes in 2007 for his feature film "The Edge of Heaven" as well as prestigious awards at the film festivals in Berlin (2004) and Venice (2009).
The other short-listed films are "A Fantastic Woman" from Chile, Hungary's "On Body and Soul," Israel's "Foxtrot," "The Insult" from Lebanon, Russia's "Loveless," Senegal's "Felicite," South Africa's "The Wound" and "The Square" from Sweden.
'In the Fade' and other films by Fatih Akin
Director Fatih Akin takes up the true stories of the neo-Nazi series of murders across Germany in his latest film, "In the Fade." Here's a look back at some of his previous works.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Warner Bros.
A brutal awakening in 'In the Fade'
In Fatih Akin's Golden Globe-winning and Oscar-nominated film, "In the Fade," Katja and Nuri Sekerci (Diane Kruger and Numan Acar) are a happy couple. Nuri's Kurdish background, however, proves reason enough for right-wing radicals to murder him. Akin's movie deals with the series of murders undertaken by the neo-Nazi group National Socialist Underground (NSU) across Germany from 2000 to 2007.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Warner Bros.
Award-winning Diane Kruger
German-born actress Diane Kruger has made a name for herself through international productions; this movie is her German film debut. She took home the best actress prize from the 70th Cannes Film Festival this summer for her starring role in Akin's movie, as a woman who struggles to cope with the loss of her husband and child in a bombing.
Image: Reuters/R. Duvignau
Akin's previous film: 'Tschick'
In 2016, Fatih Akin received positive criticism for his film adaptation of the novel of two young men on a road trip across Germany's countryside, "Tschick" (titled "Goodbye Berlin" in English, picture). That positive feedback was repeated at Cannes in May for "In the Fade."
Image: Studiocanal GmbH
Over-ambitious: 'The Cut'
His previous film, the historical drama "The Cut," premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2014. It was an artistic and commercial flop. The film took up the subject of the genocide of Armenians at the hands of Turkey. Despite the film's ambitious intentions, it was for the most part an anemic historical epic.
Image: pandorafilm
International breakthrough with 'Head-On'
Akin achieved his international breakthrough 13 years ago with the drama "Head-On," which captivated audiences at the Berlinale in 2004. The moving film took home the Golden Bear and established Akin's name as a director who could bring untamed emotion to the silver screen.
Image: picture alliance/dpa
His remarkable debut: 'Short Sharp Shock'
Then 25, the director made his debut in 1998 with the story of three young men in Hamburg's Altona neighborhood. The emotional power of the movie was unseen in German productions at the time. As the main characters had their roots in Turkey, Greece and Serbia, the film embodied an energetic multi-cultural shift developing in the country's cinema.
Image: picture-alliance/IFTN/United Archives
Another win: 'The Edge of Heaven'
After winning prizes in Locarno for "Short Sharp Shock" and in Berlin for "Head-On," Akin's following work, "The Edge of Heaven," was also showered with acclaim. That film won an award for best screenplay at Cannes in 2007.
Image: picture alliance/dpa
A 'Soul Kitchen' full of humor
The director continued to receive awards and acclaim for his movies. In 2009, the Hamburg-based comedy "Soul Kitchen" took home the top award at the Venice film festival. The film, which follows a hapless restaurant owner, his girlfriend and his brother, showcases Akin's strengths: his feeling for dialogue, for unusual settings and a load of humor.
Image: corazon international
A drama about justice: 'In the Fade'
With "In the Fade," Fatih Akin is releasing his ninth film in German theaters. The drama takes on the racism within German society, successfully connecting a political story with a private narrative, without feeling moralistic or didactic. It is a "true" Fatih Akin film, filled with strong emotions.
