Mozambique’s submission to the Oscars’ Best Foreign Language Film: ‘The Train of Salt and Sugar’

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Mozambique’s submission to the Oscars’ Best Foreign Language Film: ‘The Train of Salt and Sugar’

7:37 CAT | 29 Sep 2017

Ukbar Filmes Facebook / A still from the movie Comboio de Sal e Açúcar

Ukbar Filmes, producer of “The Train of Salt and Sugar”, has announced via its Facebook page that the film has been submitted to the race for the Oscars.

Described as an ‘African western’, this war drama by Licínio Azevedo, a Brazilian director who has lived in Mozambique for many years, the movie opened yesterday in cinemas in Portugal.

According to the producer, it is the first time in the history of Mozambican cinema that a film has been submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of the USA for a place among the five nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film award.

Licínio de Azevedo is currently in Portugal to promote the release of the film. Speaking to Portuguese newspaper Público, he explained that it is “necessary to be clear” on this being only a submission, but he also said that “it is a great peace” that something like this happens. “It is the first time that a Mozambican film, and one of the few African [movies], is submitted to the Oscars. It was the first time a committee was set up in Mozambique, with very important movie people, to select a film and submit it,” he says.

“It was accepted yesterday [Wednesday] in Los Angeles, to eventually be nominated,” he added, noting that the film “has won several awards” and that for him “the most important is the reception that the film has had from audiences since it debuted in Locarno for 4500 spectators, one of the rare times that an African film was screened in Piazza Grande. “”

The five finalists will be announced on January 23, 2018 and the winner will be revealed at the 90th Oscars on March 4, 2018.

Also Read: The Train of Salt and Sugar wins Best Director & Best Screenplay prizes at African Film Festival

Also Read: Mozambique’s “Train of Salt and Sugar” wins Boccalini D’Oro prize in Locarno Film Festival

In the plot, Mozambique is in the full fury of civil war. Two captains fight for Rosa’s love. The train linking Nampula to Malawi is the only hope for hundreds of people risking their lives to secure the livelihood of their families. The train drags along at 5km/ hour, its passengers, seeking hope in a time of war, completely vulnerable.

Check out the list of movies submitted so far are and watch the trailer below:

Afghanistan – “A Letter to the President”, by Roya Sadat
Albania – “Daybreak”, by Gentian Koçi
Germany – “In the Fade”, by Fatih Akin
Algeria – “Road to Istanbul”, by Rachid Bouchareb
Austria – “Happy End”, by Michael Haneke
Azerbaijan – “Pomegranate Orchard”, by Ilgar Najaf
Bangladesh – “Shona Bondhu”, by Jahangir Alam Sumon
Belgium – “Le Fidèle“, by Michaël R. Roskam
Bolivia – “Viejo Calavera”, by Kiro Russo
Bosnia Herzegovina – “Men Don’t Cry”, by Alen Drljevic
Brazil – “Bingo: O Rei das Manhãs”, by Daniel Rezende
Bulgaria – “Glória“, by Kristina Grozeva e Petar Valchanov
Cambodia – “First They Killed My Father”, by Angelina Jolie
Canada – “Hochelaga Terre des Âmes”, by François Girard
Kazakhstan – “Road to Mother”, by Akan Satayev
Chile– “Una Mujer Fantástica“, by Sebastián Lelio
Colombia – “Pariente”, by Iván Gaona
South Korea – “A Taxi Driver”, by Jang Hoon
Croatia – “Quit Staring at My Plate”, by Hana Jušic
Denmark – “You Disappear”, by Peter Schønau Fog
Egypt – “Sheikh Jackson”, by Amr Salama
Equador – “Alba”, by Ana Cristina Barragán
Slovakia – “The Line”, by Peter Bebjak
Slovenia – “Rudar” (The Miner), by Hanna Antonina Wojcik Slak
Estonia – “November”, by Rainer Sarnet
Spain – “Estiu 1993”, by Carla Simón
Philippines – “Birdshot”, by Mikhail Red
Finland – “Tom of Finland”, by Dome Karukoski
France – “120 Battements par Minute”, by Robin Campillo
Georgia – “Scary Mother”, by Ana Urushadze
Greece – “Amerika Square”, by Yannis Sakardis
Holland – “Layla M.”, by Mijke de Jong
Hong Kong – “Mad World”, by Wong Chun
Hungary – “On Body and Soul”, by Ildikó Enyedi
India – “Newton”, by Amit V Masurkar
Indonesia – “Turah” (Leftovers), by Wicaksono Wisnu Legowo
Iran – “Breath”, by Narges Abyar
Iraq – “The Dark Wind”, by Hussein Hassan
Ireland – “Song of Granite”, by Pat Collins
Island – “Under the Tree”, by Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson
Israel – “Foxtrot”, by Samuel Maoz
Italy – “A Ciambra”, by Jonas Carpignano
Japan – “Her Love Boils Bathwater”, by Ryota Nakano
Kosovo– “Unwanted”, by Edon Rizvanolli
Laos – “Dearest Sister”, by Mattie Do
Latvia – “The Chronicles of Melanie”, by Viestur Kairish
Lebanon – “The Insult”, by Ziad Doueiri
Lithuania – “Frost”, by Šarunas Bartas
Luxembourg – “Barrage”, by Laura Schroeder
Morocco – “Razzia”, by Nabil Ayouch
Mexico – “Tempestad”, by Tatiana Huezo
Mozambique – “O Comboio de Sal e Açucar”, by Licínio Azevedo
Nepal – “White Sun”, by Deepak Rauniyar
Norway – “Thelma”, by Joachim Trier
Palestine – “Wajib”, by Annemarie Jacir
Panama – “Mas Que Hermanos”, by Arianne Benedetti
Pakistan – “Saawan”, by Farhan Alam
Paraguay – “Los Buscadores”, by Juan Carlos Maneglia e Tana Schembori
Peru – “Rosa Chumbe”, by Jonatan Relayze
Poland– “Spoor (Pokot)”, by Agnieszka Holland
Portugal – “São Jorge”, by Marco Martins
Kenya – “Kati Kati”, by Mbithi Masya
Kirghistan – “Centaur”, by Aktan Abdykalykov
United Kingdom – “My Pure Land”, by Sarmad Masud
Czech Republic – “Ice Mother”, by Bohdan Sláma
Dominican Republic – “Carpinteros”, by José María Cabral
Romania – “The Fixer”, by Adrian Sitaru
Russia – “Loveless”, by Andrey Zvyagintsev
Serbia – “Requiem for Mrs. J.”, by Bojan Vuletic
Singapore – “Pop Aye”, by Kirsten Tan
Sweden – “O Quadrado”, by Ruben Östlund
Switzerland – “The Divine Order”, by Petra Biondina Volpe
Thailand – “By the Time It Gets Dark”, by Anocha Suwichakornpong
Taiwan – “Small Talk”, by Huang Hui-chen
Tunisia – “The Last of Us”, by Ala Eddine Slim
Turkey – “Ayla: The Daughter of War”, by Can Ulkay
Ukraine – “Black Level”, by Valentyn Vasyanovych
Uruguay – “Otra Historia del Mundo”, by Guillermo Casanova
Venezuela – “El Inca”, by Ignacio Castillo Cottin
Vietnam– “Father and Son”, by Dung Luong Dinh