The Spanish Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences has chosen Alcarràs as the film that will represent our country in the next edition of the Oscars, number 95, which will be held on March 12, 2023 at the Dolby Theater in Los Angels. The actress Carmen Maura, accompanied by the president of the Academy, Fernando Méndez-Leite, and the notary Eva Fernández Medina, has been in charge of reading the title of the second feature film by Carla Simón, winner of a historic Golden Bear in the last Berlinale.
Alcarràs was undoubtedly the best positioned and finally won the other two shortlisted on August 25: Cinco lobitos, the family drama by Alauda Ruiz de Azúa that won the Biznaga de Oro in Malaga, and As bestas, the rural thriller by Rodrigo Sorogoyen that had an excellent reception in Cannes and whose premiere is scheduled for next November 11.
Simón's film now aspires to enter the 'shortlist' or preselection of 15 candidates for the Oscar for best international film, which will be announced on December 21. His first feature, Estiu 1993, was also selected by the Academy to represent Spain at the Hollywood Academy Awards in 2018, but it did not make the cut. In the last edition, The good patron, by Fernando León de Aranoa, passed the selection, although it could not enter the five finalists of the category. The nominations will be announced on January 24.
Alcarràs is a melancholic chronicle starring non-professional actors and shot in Catalan that immerses us in a universe that Simón knows well thanks to his family, dedicated to growing peaches in that area of Lleida.
In fiction, the Solé have lived from agriculture for generations, but now the trees are giving way to solar panels and the family faces its last harvest. The film, released in theaters on April 29, has been selected to participate in more than 37 festivals around the world and will soon be seen at the New York and London Film Festivals. On platforms it is available on Prime Video, Filmin, iTunes, Movistar Plus, Vodafone, Orange, Google Play and Rakuten.
The film has done very well at the box office with a total of 2,195,109 euros raised and 367,827 viewers since then and is in third position in the ranking of the most watched Spanish films this year behind Father there is no more than one 3 and Tadeo Jones 3. The emerald tablet.
For Simón this 2022 is being a very special year. The run of the film since it was victorious at the Berlinale has been spectacular and last June the filmmaker was the mother of a boy named Manel for the first time. In Venice he presented his short Letter to my mother for my son, where he stands in front of the camera, and told this newspaper that he was very excited to run for the golden statuette, while he believed that this second time he would be "easier".
From the Government, the spokeswoman Patrícia Plaja has celebrated the selection of Alcarràs: "It is great news for Catalonia, also for Catalan". "We are convinced that there they will value what is already a jewel of Catalan cinema," she assured.
