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9692: Foreign Language Film at Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rejects LUMUMBA (fwd)
From: Bobrunel@aol.com
Raoul Peck's LUMUMBA deemed not fit to qualify as the Haitian nominee
for consideration in the Best Foreign Film category by the Academy of
Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The Committee for Foreign Language at the AMPAS has rejected LUMUMBA, the
award winning film of Haitian filmmaker Raoul Peck, as the Haitian entry for
Best Foreign Film consideration by the Academy. This serves as a foreboding
message to any films or filmmakers from other "less able", third world
countries that they might also not qualify to be recognized for works that
mean more to them and their country than just another movie.
The Foreign Language Film Committee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences has certain criteria by which they determine whether a given foreign
film is eligible for nomination. It was the decision of the Academy that
because LUMUMBA did not have any key crew positions outside of Mr. Peck
himself (Writer, Director, Producer) that were of Haitian nationality, the
film did not satisfy it's criteria. These criteria are designed to assure
that nationals of the country nominating the film produce the film to the
fullest extent possible. If you look closely however, that is exactly the
case when it comes to LUMUMBA. Nationals of Haiti -- the country that is
nominating the film, produced the film to the fullest extent possible.
Haiti is a poor country. Even so, Haiti did its part in contributing
financially to Lumumba through the Lome Convention Funds. LUMUMBA marks the
first time that Haiti has even been able to present a film to the Academy for
consideration in this category. Unfortunately, given Haiti's extreme poverty
and survival economy, the extent to which there even exist Haitians who can
fill technical cinematographic or artistic positions is extremely limited.
Mr. Peck made every effort to find such persons in Haiti, but in the end,
found that they did not exist on a level that would have made economic or
artistic sense on such an ambitious project while also respecting the films
co-production requirements. This is a problem that filmmakers from many
countries all around the world face. However, one must ask, "Does it make LU
MUMBA less of a "Haitian" film?" If this is the case, then are all films made
by Mr. Peck are NOT Haitian?
Mr. Peck is a Haitian citizen who has proudly served his country in 1996-1997
during Haiti's second democratically elected government as Minister of
Culture. He runs an established cultural foundation and just recently opened
a cinema there as well. He has also spent his film career making both
documentary and narrative films about Haiti, its citizens and the plights of
those of many third world countries like "Haitian Corner", "L'Homme sur les
Quais" and "Haiti - Silence of the Dogs."
LUMUMBA, since its opening in the Director's Fortnight at the Cannes
International Film Festival, has been met with great success in numerous
countries, in the Caribbean and Latin America and in particular in many
French speaking African and Arab countries. Everywhere, the tale of this
forgotten hero and historical figure has moved audiences. In every single
country, this film has been felt and regarded as a vivid example of what
cinema can do for values, contents, insights and history yet still be an
entertaining product, which is accessible to a large audience.
One cannot help but to feel that it is a terrible injustice to leave this
film out of a competition where it seems to deserve (at the very least) a
chance to compete. This film certainly fulfilled the spirit, if not the
letter of the Academy rules and should have been accepted under these
circumstances. Ironically, because of it's release in the US, Zeitgeist
Films has also submitted and qualified LUMUMBA for selection in other
categories like Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor. However, without a
substantial and costly Academy campaign, the film has very little chance of
having a voice in those mainstream categories. More importantly, there will
be other worthy films that should be eligible to qualify who might not even
have the opportunity to have had US distribution. What will become of their
story?