France has chosen Tran Anh Hung’s romantic food-themed period drama The Taste of Things to represent the country in the best international film category at the 2024 Academy Awards.
Formerly titled The Pot-au-Feu, the film earned the French-Vietnamese filmmaker the best director prize in Cannes and was snapped up by IFC and Sapan Studio.
Set in late 19th century France, it stars Juliette Binoche as Eugenie, an esteemed cook who has been working for over 20 years for famed gourmet chef Dodin played by Benoît Magimel. As the food in the kitchen simmers, so does their slow-burning romance.
The film was among five features shortlisted for the honour alongside Justine Triet’s Cannes Palme d’Or-winning Anatomy Of A Fall, Clement Cogitore’s Sons Of Ramses, Thomas Cailley’s The Animal Kingdom and Denis Imbert’s On The Wandering Paths.
The selection was announced by the CNC on Thursday (Sept. 21) following a day of deliberations by a recently revamped selection committee composed of industry heavyweights Patrick Wachsberger, Alexandre Desplat, Charles Gillibert, Olivier Assayas, Mounia Meddour, Sabine Chemaly and Tanja Meissner whose members met with the producers, sales companies and US distributors of each film where applicable.
Hung’s The Scent Of Green Papaya was the first and only film from Vietnam to vie for the Oscar for best international feature in 1993, but lost to Regis Wargnier’s Indochine, the last time France has won in the category. The film’s original French title remains La Passion de Dodin Bouffant and Gaumont will release it in France on November 8. France was last nominated in 2019 for Ladj Ly’s Les Misérables.
No comments yet