While it was not nominated for the Oscar for Best Foreign Film, Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall” still won an award this Sunday, March 10.
France’s coronation at the Oscars took place, but not in the expected category. While it was not represented by the tricolor for the Best Foreign Film award, that did not prevent Anatomy of a Fall from winning a prize during the 96th ceremony, this Sunday, March 10, 2024. The film by Justine Triet written jointly with his companion Arthur Harari, won a statuette: that of Best Original Screenplay. The film was nominated five times.
When collecting her Oscar, the French director did not hide her emotion and her joy on the stage of the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles: “This Oscar will help me get through the midlife crisis, I think. case, it’s a crazy, extraordinary year. It’s very glamorous tonight and the glamor of tonight is in contrast to the beginning of this film. You know, we were at home, cooped up with our two children. C “It was confinement, it was during the coronavirus. And so we put our children in front of the TV, in front of cartoons. There was no separation between writing and diapers.”
Also receiving the award as co-writer, Arthur Harari continued: “And then there are two other people who intervened Marie-Ange [Luciani] and David [Thion], a woman and a man. And in fact, that’s where things got a little crazy. And it was really this ping-pong that happened, especially between French people. But there was nothing between us or above us. There was a independence and total freedom and that was the only way for us to make this film.” Subsequently, Justine Triet wanted to thank her casting. A new statuette is therefore added to Justine Triet’s shelf, after the Palme d’Or, two Golden Globes and 6 Césars.
However, a coronation of Anatomy of a Fall was not necessarily obvious. If the Oscar for Best Screenplay was predicted by several observers, we cannot help but be bitter when wondering if Justine Triet’s film could have won that for Best Film, offering an unexpected victory after several decades of scarcity. But this trial film could not compete in this category because it was not chosen by France to represent the country.
It’s a commission that designates France’s candidate for the Oscars. She chose The Passion of Dodin Bouffant in favor of Anatomy of a Fall. This choice was made by professionals from the cinema industry, namely exporters Sabine Chemaly and Tanja Meissner, producers Patrick Wachsberger and Charles Gillibert, directors Olivier Assayas and Mounia Meddour and composer Alexandre Desplat.
The ousting of Anatomy of a Fall in favor of La passion by Dodin Bouffant, winner of the directing prize at Cannes, questioned more than one. According to information from Variety, the final vote was close (4-3 in favor of The Passion of Dodin Bouffant), and a second vote was refused to one of the members of the commission who had finally changed his mind. We do not know why Justine Triet’s film was not accepted by the commission, the producer of the feature film said “he does not believe in political intervention” following his controversial speech attacking the government in Cannes, the CNC also ensuring that “the commission to nominate France’s candidate for the Oscars designates its choice in complete independence”.
