Nominations for the 97th Academy Awards were announced Thursday, and the list is decidedly political.
Oscar-winning political films range from a Vatican conspiracy thriller to a documentary about an assassinated Congolese freedom fighter to a biography of a New York real estate mogul turned president.
cub
Before he became President of the United States, Donald Trump was a young and ruthlessly ambitious real estate developer in New York City.
“The Apprentice,” starring Romanian-American actor Sebastian Stan in a blond wig and lots of foundation, begins in the early 1970s and charts Trump’s rise and turbulent personal life, including his drug use. It also includes scenes of people doing things, getting hair transplants, and having sexual intercourse. He assaulted his wife Ivana.
This film is not a flattering portrayal, to say the least. Trump himself called the case a “politically disgusting hatchet job,” and his campaign threatened legal action to prevent it from becoming public. Stan was nominated for Best Actor, and Jeremy Strong, who played Trump’s shadowy mentor Roy Cohn, was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
conclave
‘Conclave’ stars Ralph Fiennes, better known as Voldemort, as a Catholic cardinal caught up in the dark world of secrets, lies, and papal politics.
The film was criticized by some Catholic groups and conservatives, including former Fox News host Megyn Kelly, who called it a “disgusting anti-Catholic movie.”
It was nominated in eight categories, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Fiennes, and Best Supporting Actress for Italian actress Isabella Rossellini, who played the quiet and powerful nun.
pottery war
This Ukrainian documentary, nominated in the Best Documentary Feature Film category, explores the resilience of Ukrainian artists under Russian occupation and highlights the role of art as a form of resistance.
The film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize for American Documentary. It has since received widespread praise, holding a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
coup soundtrack
This documentary film by Belgian filmmaker Johan Grimonprez tells the story of the assassination of former Congolese Prime Minister and independence leader Patrice Lumumba and the web of lies and intrigue that surrounded it.
The documentary won the Special Jury Prize for Cinematic Innovation at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, with the jury calling it “a bold and ambitious way to tell a complex story.”
there is no other land
The film, produced by a Palestinian-Israeli collective, depicts the devastation of the Israeli-occupied West Bank’s Massafer Yatta region and follows the bond that forms between Palestinian activist Basel and Israeli journalist Yuval.
This documentary has already won major awards, including the Panorama Audience Award at the Berlin International Film Festival last November and the Best Feature Documentary Award at the International Documentary Association Award in December.
Emilia Perez
‘Emilia Pérez’ is a Spanish-language crime musical written by French director Jacques Audiard and depicts the journey of a Mexican cartel leader who undergoes sex reassignment surgery.
This bold film is leading the Oscar race with an impressive 13 nominations and comes at a time when diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts are not only facing political backlash, but “anti-Wokeisme” sentiment is rising in France.
And, lest you forget…
Wallace and Gromit: Birds of Vengeance
… This is a film that essentially warns of the dangers of technological deregulation. It won the award for Best Animated Feature.
