CULTURE

Greek psych-thriller heads for the Oscars

After two years doing the festival circuit and reaping awards at Cannes (Un certain regard jury prize and the Prix de la jeunesse youth prize), Montreal, Sarajevo and Stockholm, Yorgos Lanthimos?s 2009 drama «Dogtooth» is heading back across the Atlantic to battle it out with the big boys at the Oscars.

The 37-year-old Greek filmmaker?s chilling tale of psychological manipulation has been nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Tuesday, where it will be competing for the much-coveted golden statuette with”Biutiful,» Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu?s 2010 entry from Mexico, starring Javier Bardem, Danish filmmaker and 2007 Oscar nominee (for «After the Wedding”) Susanne Bier?s «In a Better World,» Canadian Denis Villeneuve?s adaptation of Wajdi Mouawad?s play «Incendies» and Algerian Rachid Bouchareb?s «Hors-la-loi» (Outside the Law), which chronicles the Algerian struggle for independence from France in the aftermath of World War II.

“Dogtooth» is the first Greek film to be nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar since Michael Cacoyannis?s «Iphigenia» in 1977, which did not win.

The 50th Academy Awards will be taking place on February 27.

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