The short film Two People Exchanging Saliva has been nominated for an Oscar in the Live Action Short Film category. The 36-minute black-and-white production features Luxembourgish actress Vicky Krieps as the narrator. The film has already garnered multiple awards, been showcased at over 70 film festivals, and screened in more than 21 countries. Now, it has its sights set on an Academy Award.
Directed by Natalie Musteata and Alexandre Singh, the short presents a dystopian Paris where intimacy and even kissing are forbidden and illegal, exploring a chilling vision of human connection under strict control.
It Was Just an Accident, an Iranian–Luxembourgish–French co-production, has been nominated in the categories of International Feature Film and Best Original Screenplay. The film, directed by Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, won the Palme d’Or at Cannes last year and is now also in contention for an Oscar.
The story follows a political prisoner and offers a critical perspective on Iran’s political regime. Panahi himself has been imprisoned several times for his political views, which he often explores in his films. For years, he was banned from making new movies and from leaving Iran.
During last year’s Cannes screening, Panahi received an eight-minute standing ovation for this latest work, which was co-produced by the Luxembourgish company Bidibul Productions.
The Oscars are being awarded for the 98th time in Los Angeles during the night of 15 to 16 March. The following movies will compete to be awarded the title for the best picture:
The films mentioned above dominate nearly every major category, including Original Screenplay, Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, and Best Cast. Leading the pack are Frankenstein, One Battle After Another, Sentimental Value, and Sinners. Sinners earned a record-breaking 16 nominations while One Battle After Another received an impressive 12 nominations, while Netflix’s new adaptation of Frankenstein earned nine nominations.
