“Titane” is eyeing a trip to the Oscars. Julia Ducournau’s history-making sophomore feature has been named France’s submission to the best international film category for the 2022 Academy Awards. Screen Daily confirmed the news.
Ducournau’s follow-up to 2016 cannibal coming-of-age pic “Raw,” “Titane” follows Alexia (Agathe Rousselle), a dancer, model, and serial killer with a sexual attraction to cars. The revenge thriller sees her posing as an adult version of a local boy who went missing decades prior. Ducournau penned the script.
With “Titane,” Ducournau became the first woman director to take home Cannes’ most prestigious prize, the Palme d’Or, since Jane Campion in 1993. The film made a splash at the box office when it was released earlier this month: “Titane” landed the biggest U.S. opening weekend by a Palme d’Or winner since “Fahrenheit 9/11” in 2004.
“Titane” was one of three films shortlisted by France. Also scoring a spot on the list was Audrey Diwan’s “Happening” (“L’Evénement”), an abortion drama that won the Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival.
“Titane” is now in theaters. “Happening” is expected to arrive stateside in early 2022.
The 2022 Oscars are scheduled to take place March 27. Another contender in the race is “I’m Your Man”: Maria Schrader’s sci-fi rom-com has been chosen to represent Germany.
