Montevideo Will Represent Serbia At Oscars 2012
Montevideo, Bog Te Video (God Bless You) has been chosen as Serbia’s representative at the Oscars in 2012. The smash hit film that tells the nostalgic and highly stylised story of Serbia’s path to the first World Cup Final in Uruguay, won the honour in stiff competition against other Serbian language films released in 2011.
Since its release at the start of the year, this warm and heartening tale has gone on to be Serbia’s highest grossing film. Director Dragan Bjelogrlić will compete in the Foreign Language category at the 84th American Academy Awards in Los Angeles, on 26 February 2012. The film is rich in period atmosphere and heavy on compassion and national pride. Starring Miloš Biković, Petar Strugar, Nina Janković, Danina Jeftić and Milutin Karadzić, it is based on a book by sports journalist Vladimir Stanković.
Despite the undisputed quality of Montevideo, it was not an easy battle to win in a list of such quality films from the past year. Montevideo was up against the incredible Šišanje/Skinning (Stevan Filipović), White Lions (Lazar Ristovski), White, White World (Oleg Novković), The Smell of Rain in the Balkans (Ljubisa Samardzić), The Enemy (Dejan Zecević) and festival favourite Tilva Roš (Nicholas Lezaić). The difficult decision of the committee was announced this week at the Museum of Yugoslav Film Archives, Serbia.
The chosen film is elected by secret ballot of directors, actors, editors and composers on Serbia’s Professional Committee of the Academy of Film Arts and Science, consisting of: Radmila Ziković, Irfan Mensur, Darko Bajić, Vera Vlajić, Milan Jelić, Ljubomir Radičević, Jelena Dokić, Dušica Zegarac, Ruzica Sokić, Stanislava Zarić, Milorad Jaksić Fanđo, composer Cornelius Kovac and critics Peter Volk, Bozidar Zecević and Milan Špiček.
Many of these films – including Montevideo – will receive their UK premiere screening at this month’s Raindance Film Festival London (28 September – 9 October).
9 / 1 / 2011 5:54 pm
Excellent news! Thanks for sharing. I love that film!!