Jordan Times
Friday, September 5, 2008
Captain Abu Raed to be
considered for Oscar nomination
By Taylor Luck
AMMAN - Award-winning feature film Captain Abu Raed has been officially
submitted to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences to be considered
for an Academy Awards nomination, a first in the Kingdom’s history.
After being chosen by an independent committee headed by former tourism minister
Munir Nassar, the film was officially endorsed by the Royal Film Commission (RFC)
earlier this week and submitted to be considered for an Oscar in the Best
Foreign Film category.
“We are going to keep our fingers crossed as it would be great for Jordan to be
represented at the Oscars,” Nassar told The Jordan Times.
The “very strict” requirements for nomination meant that Captain Abu Raed was
the only Jordanian film eligible for the distinction, Nassar said, pointing out
that there were several other films worthy of the title.
The Royal Film Commission, meanwhile, expressed excitement about sending a
Jordanian film to the Oscars.
“We are extremely glad and happy to have, for the first time, Jordan competing
for an Oscar nomination and we hope that Captain Abu Raed will get a special
mention,” RFC communications and culture manager Nada Doumani told The Jordan
Times.
"This shows that the film industry in Jordan has matured enough to compete in
international festivals, and we hope for many others to follow," she said,
noting that the other movie seriously considered by the committee, the acclaimed
Zarqa documentary "Recycle", did not meet Oscar regulations as it wasn’t shown
in local cinemas for several consecutive days.
Captain Abu Raed co-star Rana Sultan expressed hope that the Kingdom of Jordan
will be represented at the Oscars.
“I think we can make it. We went to Sundance and even won, which we never
expected,” Sultan told The Jordan Times.
“It’s been a nice surprise, and I am proud to be part of something that will
make Jordan proud,” she added.
Written and directed by Amin Matalqa and produced by Kevin Pritchard, Captain
Abu Raed tells the story of a reclusive airport janitor, played by Nadim Sawalha,
who dreams of seeing the world, but has to make do with books and brief
encounters with passengers.
The film, which through everyday characters touches upon themes such as poverty,
child labour and domestic violence, gained international attention when it
received the World Cinema Audience Award for a dramatic piece at the Sundance
Film Festival
Since then, the film has gone on to win several other international film
festival awards, ranging from best picture to best performances by co-stars
Sawalha and Sultan.
According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, some 96 countries
were invited to submit films for consideration for the “Best Foreign Film”
category, with an October 1 submission deadline.
To qualify for the distinction, a film must have been released in the submitting
country between October 1, 2007 and September 30, 2008, and been publicly
screened in 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital cinema format, for at
least seven consecutive days in a commercial motion picture theatre.
Oscar nominations are expected in late January of next year, with the 81st
Academy Awards to be presented in Hollywood, California on February 22, 2009.