Controversial ‘Sea Inside’ nominated for Oscar

25 January 2005

BEVERLY HILLS-Spanish movie ‘The Sea Inside’ was among the films nominated for best foreign-language film at the Oscars.

Spain’s entry is directed by Alejandro Amenabar and tells the true story of a paralysed man, played by Javier Bardem, who wants to commit suicide.

The film, which related the story of tetraplegic former fisherman Ramon Sampedro, sparked a debate about euthanasia in Spain.

Two weeks ago, a former friend admitted helping Sampedro commit suicide in 1998.

Police have re-opened the case and she may face prosecution. 

The Sea Inside won the jury grand prize Silver Lion award at the Venice film festival and a Golden Globe award as the best foreign film.

Other nominated films included France’s ‘Les Choristes’ by Christophe Barratier, which tells the story of a group of reform schoolboys having their lives in post-war France changed by a choir-master and was a major hit in its home country.

South Africa’s ‘Yesterday’ written and directed by Darrell Roodt, tells of a young mother who discovers that she is HIV-positive.

Sweden’s ‘As It Is In Heaven’, directed by Kay Pollak, will compete with ‘Downfall’ -a controversial film recreating the last 10 days of the life of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, is directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel.

The film were among 49 films non-English language that qualified for the Oscars.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news