The CNC changes its selection method for the best foreign film, after the controversy of “Anatomy of a Fall”

“Anatomy of a Fall” by Justine Triet, an international success that notably won a Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, won the Oscar for best screenplay.

The National Center for Cinema (CNC) announced on Friday July 5 a change in its commission responsible for selecting the feature film competing for the prize for best foreign film at the Oscars, a few months after a controversy linked to its choice in 2024.

Rather than choosing Anatomy of a fall by Justine Triet, an international success notably crowned with a Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, which had a chance of winning this award, France had proposed to the Academy of Oscars The Passion of Dodin Bouffant by Tran Anh Hung. The latter was ultimately not selected by the Academy among the works nominated for the Oscar for best international film.

Anatomy of a fallnominated in five other categories by the organizers, had won the Oscar for best screenplay.The CNC has modified the commission responsible for selecting the Oscar for best international film“, he announced in a press release. From seven members, it goes to eleven,”in order to promote collegiality of debates, diversity of points of view and the secret nature of voting“, explained the public establishment for the promotion of the 7th art.

This commission will be appointed for two years, instead of one year until now.
“Finally, the president of the CNC will no longer attend sessions as an observer.“, For “strengthen the independence of the commission, both from public authorities and from professional interests“, added the CNC.”Qualified personalities in the field of cinema“, the eleven members are “always appointed by the Minister responsible for Culture on the proposal of the President of the CNC“. At least six must be “film artists or technicians“, as required by the Oscar rules.

The press had wondered about the possibility that the choice of The Passion of Dodin Bouffant either political, dictated by the speech given during the presentation of the 2023 Palme d’Or in Cannes, where Justine Triet accused the government and the President of the Republic of wanting “Breaking the cultural exception“. “It’s the decision of four people in a room.“, the filmmaker lamented in January.