Annemarie Jacir has been chosen to represent Palestine for the third time at the Academy Awards. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jacir’s latest film, “Wajib,” is now a contender in the foreign-language category of the 2018 Oscars. The country previously submitted Jacir’s “Salt of the Sea” and “When I Saw You.”
“Wajib” will make its North American premiere next month at the Toronto International Film Festival. The dramedy follows a father (Mohammad Bakr, “The Night Of”) who reunites with his estranged son (Saleh Bakri, “The Band’s Visit”) in the lead up to his daughter’s (Maria Zriek, “Villa Touma”) wedding. Jacir penned the script.
“I like to be rooted in real people and real situations,” Jacir has said of her films. “Yet at the same time indulge in the freedom of what cinema is about: our dreams, [and] our ability to change or escape.”
Switzerland has selected Petra Volpe’s women’s rights drama “The Divine Order” to represent the country in the foreign language category. Last Oscar season, just one woman-directed film earned a nod in the best foreign-language film category: Maren Ade’s Cannes sensation “Toni Erdmann.”
