Ninety-five films from 65 different countries are being considered for nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film category for the 2020 Golden Globes.
These films include six from Africa. They are:
Set against the backdrop of one of Algeria’s darkest times in 1997, the movie follows a young student determined to make a fashion show even with the severe oppression of women.
According to Meddour, “ I wanted to tell the story of this young woman who, through her resistance, takes us on a great journey fraught with pitfalls that show multiple facets of Algerian society with its resourcefulness, mutual support, friendship, love, and struggles. She is not against religion: she is fighting in her own ways the abuses carried out in its name. For me, the movie is really about the emancipation of Nedjma, who is more or less the representation of the image of all women.”
Like the Oscars, the Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes must contain a predominantly non-English dialogue track (at least 51% of the dialogue must be spoken in a non-English language). This rule led to the disqualification of “Lionheart,” Nigeria’s first-ever entry to the Oscars.
The film tells the story of two brothers chasing their dreams, one desires to become an Olympic runner and the other a photographer. It is also Ethiopia’s entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards.
Blitz, better known as Blitz the Ambassador, makes his debut with the Burial of Kojo — the first Ghanaian film ever to be considered for a Golden Globes nomination. It is also the first original movie from Ghana to be released on Netflix.
The film tells the story of the tumultuous relationship between two brothers — Kojo and Kwabena — through the eyes of a powerful girl named Esi. Her gift is the ability to travel between this world and the spiritual realm. It also touches on Ghana’s gold mining challenges and other aspects of the Ghanaian society.
Chiwetel Ejiofor’s directorial debut is based on the semi-autobiographical book of the same name. It follows a thirteen-year-old boy in Malawi who invents an unconventional way to save his family and village from famine.
Speaking on the movie, Ejiofor, who also featured in the movie said, “To get emotional truth of the story, I spent a lot of time with William. I came to Malawi to experience the book from the actual ground. I met his family, friends and saw the village where everything took place. William, his family and people live these incredibly epic lives and that was something that I really found in the book. It’s an epic story.”
The plot reads, “Abla runs a modest local bakery from her home in Casablanca where she lives alone with her 8-year-old daughter, Warda. When Samia, a young pregnant woman knocks on their door, Abla is far from imagining that her life will change forever.”
This award-winning Netflix original is inspired by the real-life experiences of Senegalese migrants who travelled to Spain in search of greener pastures. There is a love story between its protagonists, Ada and Souleiman. It is set in Senegal's capital city, Dakar.
Atlantics is also in the running to become the first Senegalese film nominated for an Oscar.
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