The film did win Best Canadian Film at TIFF … in 2014. We've even seen the film in the United States. Now Felix and Meira will be Canada's entry to the Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film for 2016.
Usually the nominee is little known outside Canada when the announcement is made, and I would go around hoping audiences will eventually discover that film.
Been there, done that.
Felix and Meira is a marvelous film from Maxime Giroux that people should definitely discover. A little surprised that no new French-Canadian film proved a better pick than this delightful film.
For those who don't know the film, the story is about a young married Orthodox Jewish woman who develops a friendship with a man who is mourning his father's death.
While there is some English in the film, the vast majority of the dialogue is in French or Yiddish.
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Xavier Dolan's Mommy and Louise Archambault's Gabrielle were the last 2 Canadian nominees for the top prize. Neither film made the cut for the top 5 mark. Gabrielle was a long-shot but Mommy should have had a really good shot.
Where does Felix and Meira fit into the world cinema stage. The film is a lot less edgy than Mommy and more well-known than Gabrielle.
The reality is that the other competitors spell out where a film will fit. Felix and Meira is a beautiful showcase into worlds we don't always get to see. The dialogue from Maxime Giroux and Alexandre Laferrière is real and wonderful and true. The film could easily have been nominated last year and might have done better in that field. But you couldn't ignore how powerful Mommy is as a film.
The 88th Academy Awards will be on February 28. We should know in January as to whether Felix and Meira made the cut for the Oscars.
Canada nominees for
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Film | Year** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| War Witch | 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Monsieur Lazhar | 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Incendies | 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Water | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Barbarian Invasions* | 2003 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jesus of Montréal | 1989 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Decline of the American Empire | 1986 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Oscar winner **Year of the film, not the ceremony. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
video credit: YouTube/filmsduquebec
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