2012 84th Academy Awards Best Foreign Language Film Oscar Submissions
The deadline for all countries to send in their submissions was October 3, 2011. The submitted motion pictures must be first released theatrically in their respective countries between October 1, 2010 and September 30, 2011.
List activity
343 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
65 titles
- DirectorAsghar FarhadiStarsPayman MaadiLeila HatamiSareh BayatA married couple are faced with a difficult decision - to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's disease.92 (5), Winner, Iran
- DirectorPhilippe FalardeauStarsMohamed FellagSophie NélisseÉmilien NéronAt a Montréal public grade school, an Algerian immigrant is hired to replace a popular teacher who committed suicide in her classroom. While helping his students deal with their grief, his own recent loss is revealed.83 (5), Nominee, Canada
- DirectorJoseph CedarStarsShlomo Bar-AbaLior AshkenaziAliza RosenEliezer and Uriel Shkolnik are father and son as well as rival professors in Talmudic Studies. When both men learn that Eliezer will be lauded for his work, their complicated relationship reaches a new peak.82 (5), Nominee, Israel
- DirectorMichaël R. RoskamStarsMatthias SchoenaertsJeroen PercevalJeanne DandoySint-Truiden, Belgium. Jacky, a young cattle farmer who is constantly pumped on steroids and hormones, is approached by a veterinarian to make a deal with a notorious beef trader.77 (5), Nominee, Belgium
- DirectorAgnieszka HollandStarsRobert WieckiewiczBenno FürmannAgnieszka GrochowskaA dramatization of one man's rescue of Jewish refugees in the German-occupied Polish city of Lvov.77 (5), Nominee, Poland
- DirectorWim WendersStarsPina BauschRegina AdventoMalou AiraudoA tribute to the late German choreographer Pina Bausch, as her dancers perform her most famous creations.83 (5), January Shortlist, Germany
Blu-ray 3D - DirectorTe-Sheng WeiStarsMasanobu AndôJun'ichi HarutaSabu KawaharaAn indigenous clan-based people living in harmony with nature find their way of life threatened when violent interlopers from another culture arrive, intent on seizing their natural resources and enslaving them.74 (4), January Shortlist, Taiwan
- DirectorRoschdy ZemStarsSami BouajilaDenis PodalydèsMaurice BénichouIn the summer of 1991 an elderly woman Ghislaine Marchal is found murdered in the basement of her home with the message "Omar M'a Tuer" (Omar has kill me) written beside in her own blood. Despite a lack of forensic or DNA evidence, her Moroccan gardener Omar Raddad is found guilty and sentenced to 18 years in a French prison. Shocked by the case, and convinced of his innocence, journalist Pierre-Emmanuel Vaugrenard moves to Nice to investigate, and uncover the truth... A powerful and gripping French crime drama depicting a remarkable true story.67 (1), January Shortlist, Morocco
- DirectorOle Christian MadsenStarsMikael BertelsenAnders W. BerthelsenJamie MortonChristian's wife leaves him for a top Argentinian soccer player. After 11 months of drinking his wine-store stock, he flies to Buenos Aires with his 16-year-old son Oscar after receiving divorce papers. Will he get his wife back?64 (1), January Shortlist, Denmark
- DirectorBéla TarrÁgnes HranitzkyStarsJános DerzsiErika BókMihály KormosA rural farmer is forced to confront the mortality of his faithful horse.85 (5), Hungary
- DirectorAki KaurismäkiStarsAndré WilmsBlondin MiguelJean-Pierre DarroussinWhen an African boy arrives by cargo ship in the port city of Le Havre, an aging shoe shiner takes pity on the child and welcomes him into his home.83 (5), Finland
- DirectorAnn HuiStarsAndy LauDeannie IpHailu QinAfter suffering a stroke, an altruistic maid announces that she wants to quit her job and move into an old people's home.83 (5), Hong Kong
- DirectorEric KhooStarsTetsuya BesshoMotoko GollentYoshihiro TatsumiA story based on the life and short stories of Yoshihiro Tatsumi, a mangaka known for his gekiga style of alternate Japanese manga.83 (3), Singapore
- DirectorJosé PadilhaStarsWagner MouraIrandhir SantosAndré RamiroAfter a prison riot, former-Captain Nascimento, now a high ranking security officer in Rio de Janeiro, is swept into a bloody political dispute that involves government officials and paramilitary groups.81 (5), Brazil
- DirectorNuri Bilge CeylanStarsMuhammet UzunerYilmaz ErdoganTaner BirselA group of men set out in search of a dead body in the Anatolian steppes.81 (5), Turkey
- DirectorDragan BjelogrlicStarsMilos BikovicPetar StrugarNina JankovicA story about Serbian football team that decides to follow a dream that takes them on a journey to the First World Football Championship in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1930. A dream that allows them to become true stars and living legends.84 (1), Serbia
- DirectorMiguel Gonçalves MendesStarsJoão AfonsoÀngels BarcelóPilar del RíoA documentary on Nobel Prize Winner José Saramago and his feelings over his wife, his country and life, as a whole.84 (1), Portugal
- DirectorKarl MarkovicsStarsThomas SchubertKarin LischkaGeorg FriedrichThrough his work at a morgue, an incarcerated young man trying to build a new life starts to come to terms with the crime he committed.81 (4), Austria
- DirectorJuanita WilsonStarsNatasha PetrovicFedja StukanJelena JovanovaA young female teacher from Sarajevo who travels to a remote village. Soon after arriving, the village is attacked by a group of soldiers. The men are killed, the women separated from the children, and placed in a makeshift brothel.82 (2), Ireland
- DirectorCarlos César ArbeláezStarsHernán Mauricio OcampoNolberto SánchezGenaro AristizábalManuel, 9, has an old ball with which he plays football every day in the countryside. He dreams of becoming a great goalkeeper. His wishes seem set to come true when Ernest, his father, gives him a new ball. But an unexpected accident sends the ball flying into a minefield. Despite the danger, Manuel refuses to abandon his treasure... He convinces Julián and Poca Luz, his two friends, to rescue it with him. Amid the adventures and kids' games, the signs of armed conflict start to appear in the lives of the inhabitants of 'La Pradera'.78 (3), Colombia
- DirectorGerardo NaranjoStarsStephanie SigmanNoé HernándezIrene AzuelaAfter entering a beauty contest in Tijuana, a young woman witnesses drug-related murders and is forced to do the gang's bidding.76 (4), Mexico
- DirectorValérie DonzelliStarsValérie DonzelliJérémie ElkaïmCésar DesseixWhen their young son is diagnosed with a brain tumor, young parents Roméo and Juliette unite in the fight for his survival.76 (4), France
- DirectorSalim AhmedStarsSalim KumarSaid AlharbiM.R. GopakumarA poor aging couple struggle to fulfill their lifelong dream of going to Mecca for pilgrimage.78 (1), India
- DirectorViktor ChouchkovStarsYavor BaharovRadina KardjilovaOvanes TorosianTILT is a love story set against the backdrop of the changing political and social environment in Europe in the late 1980s and early '90s. Can this love survive the challenges of emigration, a violent homeland and immoral social atmosphere thanks to a gang of adventurous friends?76 (1), Bulgaria
- DirectorVladimir BlazevskiStarsJordan SimonovKamka TocinovskiToni MihajlovskiA group of crotchety codgers attempt to revive the punk-rock band they all played in 17 years earlier in "Punk Is Not Dead," from Macedonian scribe-helmer75 (1), Macedonia
- DirectorAndrés WoodStarsFrancisco AcuñaJuan AlfaroOrlando AlfaroA portrait of famed Chilean singer and folklorist Violeta Parra, filled with her musical work, her memories, her loves, and her hopes.73 (2), Chile
- DirectorAthina Rachel TsangariStarsAriane LabedVangelis MourikisEvangelia RandouStuck in her boring factory town, twenty-three-year-old Marina is at the mercy of both her father's impending death and her distaste for other humans.70 (4), Greece
- DirectorHun JangStarsShin Ha-kyunGo SooRyu Seung-suA drama centered on the Korean War's final battle that will determine the border between north and south.69 (4), South Korea
- DirectorAnne SewitskyStarsAgnes KittelsenJoachim RafaelsenMaibritt SaerensFamily is the most important thing in the world to Kaja. She is an eternal optimist in spite of living with a man who would rather go hunting with the boys, and who refuses to have sex with her because she isn't particularly attractive anymore. Whatever. That's life. But when the perfect couple moves in next door, Kaja struggles to keep her emotions in check. Not only do these successful, beautiful, exciting people sing in a choir; they have also adopted a child - from Ethiopia. These new neighbors open a new world to Kaja, with consequences for everyone involved. And when Christmas comes around, it becomes evident that nothing will ever be like before - even if Kaja tries her very best.68 (5), Norway
- DirectorDaniel Vega VidalDiego Vega VidalStarsBruno OdarGabriela VelásquezCarlos GassolsClemente, a moneylender of few words, is a new hope for Sofía, his single neighbor, devoted to the October worship of Our Lord of the Miracles. They're brought together over a new-born baby, fruit of Clemente's relationship with a prostitute who's nowhere to be found. While Clemente is looking for the girl's mother, Sofía cares for the baby and looks after the moneylender's house. With the arrival of these beings in his life, Clemente has the opportunity to reconsider his emotional relations with people.69 (3), Peru
- DirectorNadine LabakiStarsClaude Baz MoussawbaaNadine LabakiYvonne MaaloufA group of Lebanese women try to ease religious tensions between Christians and Muslims in their village.67 (5), Lebanon
- DirectorEmanuele CrialeseStarsFilippo PucilloDonatella FinocchiaroGiuseppe FiorelloA Sicilian family deals with the arrival of a group of immigrants on their island.66 (4), Italy
- DirectorYimou ZhangStarsChristian BaleNi NiXinyi ZhangAn American finds refuge during the 1937 Japanese invasion of Nanking in a church with a group of women. Posing as a priest, he attempts to lead the women to safety.61 (5), China
- DirectorGustavo HernándezStarsFlorencia ColucciAbel TripaldiGustavo AlonsoA young woman becomes trapped inside a house and is unable to contact the outside world as mysterious forces haunt it.51 (4), Uruguay
- DirectorAgustí VillarongaStarsFrancesc ColomerMarina ComasNora NavasIn the harsh post-war years' Catalan countryside, Andreu, a child that belongs to the losing side, finds the corpses of a man and his son in the forest. The authorities want his father to be made responsible of the deaths, but Andreu tries to help his father by finding out who truly killed them. In this search, Andreu develops a moral consciousness against a world of adults fed by lies. In order to survive, he betrays his own roots and ends up finding out the monster that lives within him.Spain
- DirectorPernilla AugustStarsNoomi RapaceOla RapaceOuti MäenpääA drama set in 1970s Sweden and centered on a young woman's experiences growing up in a home riddled with abuse and alcoholism.Sweden
- DirectorMaria PetersStarsRicky KooleSergio HasselbainkAngelo ArnhemA Dutch woman and a young man 17 years her junior from Suriname, struggle to make their relationship work in spite of the social and economic obstacles they face.Netherlands
- DirectorTomás LunákStarsMiroslav KrobotMarie LudvíkováKarel RodenA train dispatcher encounters a mute stranger who appears out of nowhere, and finds himself mysteriously involved with a murder in Poland.Czech Republic
- DirectorOliver HermanusStarsDeon LotzCharlie KeeganMichelle ScottPortrait of a closeted gay husband/father living a life of quiet middle-aged desperation who becomes fixated on a friend's handsome collegiate son, leading to an incident.South Africa
- DirectorNikita MikhalkovStarsNikita MikhalkovOleg MenshikovNadezhda MikhalkovaA look at the horrors of the Eastern Front of World War II from the points of view of repressed soldier of penal battalion and his young daughter, who stayed behind enemy lines.Russia
- DirectorRúnar RúnarssonStarsAuður Drauma BachmannÞorsteinn BachmannKristín DavíðsdóttirHannes is an old man who has grown apart from his children. Recently retired when his wife gets ill he tries to reconcile with them and to atone for his cold demeanor in the past.Iceland
- DirectorMarlon RiveraStarsEugene DomingoJM De GuzmanKean CiprianoJocelyn, Rainier, and Bingbong are film-school graduates dead-set on making an Oscar-worthy film. They set out to do a quick pre-production as a courtesy call to their lead actress (Eugene Domingo), and a thorough inspection of their film's major location, the Payatas dumpsite. They believe they have a winning script and the energy and drive to make their dreams come true, no matter what the cost.Philippines
- DirectorKristijonas VildziunasStarsElzbieta LatenaiteAndrius BialobzeskisMargarita BroichEthnic Lithuanian father and daughter Vladas and Ruta were separated during the events of WWII when Ruta was just a child--she ended up with her mother--and have not seen each other since. Vladas remained in what in June 1961 is Soviet-occupied Lithuania; Ruta lives in Chicago. They have kept in touch via letters, using fake names to protect themselves from the potentially-prying eyes of the Communists. They only spoke on the telephone for the first time a few months ago. As Ruta is studying in Hamburg, she and Vladas arrange to meet in the west sector of Berlin, this meeting their first since the war. Ruta and her friend Aukse, also a Lithuanian-American, will stay at a pension in the west sector, while Vladas will stay in a consulate housing compound in the east sector, housing arranged by "comrade" Juozas Aleksandraviius, then cross over to the west sector for the meeting. After they both arrive in Berlin, they find that the geopolitical situation of the day in the city is not as free as they thought, which may jeopardize their long-awaited reunion. In addition, Ruta's presence at the pension may jeopardize the plans of some of the landlady's friends who are trying to sneak out of Berlin without the Stasi's knowledge.Lithuania
- DirectorKaneto ShindôStarsEtsushi ToyokawaShinobu ÔtakeNaomasa MusakaToward the end of World War II, middle-aged soldier Keita is entrusted with a postcard from a comrade who is sure he will die in battle. After the war ends, Keita visits his comrade's wife Yuko and bears witness to the tragic life she has led. This year's Oscar entry from Japan finds SHINDO in top form and his 49th and reportedly last film as fresh and poignant as ever.Japan
- DirectorAhmed ImamovicStarsSadzida SeticNermin TulicEmina Minka MufticThe film deals with the tragedy of the women survivors of the Srebrenica genocide, or rather, the consequences of the horrors they experienced - it is about women whose sole purpose in life is to locate the bones of their loved ones and give them a decent burial. Fifteen years later, they still want just one simple thing - the truth. As a contrast, the film deals with trivialities of modern living, obsessed with different reality shows...Bosnia and Herzegovina
- DirectorMarian CrisanStarsAndrás HatháziYilmaz YalçinElvira RimbuA low-key satire that takes a droll approach to the serious subject of illegal immigration.Romania
- DirectorDanilo SerbedzijaStarsRade SerbedzijaKresimir MikicBogdan DiklicA family from isolated village in Lika makes a good living out of American pension earned by their late granddad Djuradj and received by his widow Nedja. The very existence of a family is threatened when Nedja dies, but the head of the family comes up with a cunning plan.Croatia
- DirectorTusi TamaseseStarsFa'afiaula SanoteTausili PushparajSalamasina MataiaSaili, a little person and taro farmer, has his life turned upside-down when he is denied his father's chiefly status and his family plantation is threatened.New Zealand
- DirectorMartin SulíkStarsPeter CizmarBeáta DubielováMiroslav GulyasGypsy tells the story of Adam, a boy who, after his father dies, tries to cross the boundary of his Roma shantytown and to improve the lives of his brothers and sisters. He encounters racial, social and cultural prejudices and comes into conflict with the unwritten laws of his own community. Circumstances turn against him and his situation drives him to commit a tragic act: murder.Slovakia
- DirectorMarc EvansStarsMatthew RhysMarta LubosNahuel Pérez BiscayartA young Welsh couple travel to Argentina to work on their relationship.United Kingdom
- DirectorRolando CollaStarsFiorella CampanellaArmando CondolucciAlessia BarelaA twelve-year-old boy from an abusive, dysfunctional family meets a kindred spirit during a summer holiday by the sea.Switzerland
- DirectorIan PadrónStarsClaudia AlvariñoRubén AraujoBlanca Rosa BlancoDirected mainly for kids, the film speaks of a Havana that "reveals two distinct faces, from the everyday life of a couple of kids", according to the film's official synopsis.Cuba
- DirectorAlejandro Bellame PalaciosStarsRossana Fernández DíazChristian Josue GonzalezJuan Carlos NuñezDelia survived a river-flood ten years ago. She's trying to rebuilt her life but she soon discovers danger is over her two sons. But hope of reconstruction is possible, because the force of love,despite all, keep them united.Venezuela
- DirectorBujar AlimaniStarsLuli BitriKarafil ShenaTodi LlupiConjugal visits unite two strangers visiting a prison to meet their incarcerated spouses. During these visits, Elsa and Spetim find the companionship missing from their lives. But a prisoner amnesty soon threatens their fragile bond in this contemplative drama. An official selection of the prestigious Global Lens Collection presented by the Global Film Initiative. (Albanian w. English subs)Albania
- DirectorLeticia TonosStarsJulietta RodriguezVictor ChecoGastner LegermeMaria, 18 year old daughter of a single mother, decides to look for the father she has never met after her mother dies in a tragic accident. She finally finds him in a nearby town, living in what appears to be a haunted old country house in the middle of a neglected banana plantation. Amidst the peculiarities and superstitions of the Dominican country side, father and daughter will have to face the ghosts of the past that haunt them both.Dominican Republic
- DirectorOtar IosselianiStarsDato TarielachviliTamuna KarumidzeFanny GoninNicolas, a Georgian filmmaker who wants nothing more than to express himself. He leaves his country for France.Georgia
- DirectorFernando SpinerStarsPablo CedrónNazareno CaseroClaudio RissiAballay was a bad tempered gaucho. After killing a man, the terrified look of the victim's son raised his consciousness about his savagery. Years go by, that kid's look doesn't leave him. Aballay knows that the kid will look for him.Argentina
- DirectorSarunyu WongkrachangStarsSorapong ChatreeNirut SirichanyaApinya RungpitakamanaAn orphan, Chart, raised by his master after his parent's death and trained be to be a Khon dancer, becomes involved with the dance teacher Rambai.Thailand
- DirectorHanny SaputraStarsLaudya Cynthia BellaHerjunot AliNiken AnjaniHamid and Zainab love each other but they cannot be together. Hamid is accused of slander and expelled from the village but they retain their love.Indonesia
- DirectorKhaled El HagarStarsSawsan BadrRubiAhmed AzmiIn Alexandria, Fatmah learns that her youngest son needs weekly dialysis, which requires 300 pounds. She does not have enough money for that. She travels to Cairo to beg far from her home city. After she collects enough money, she returns to discover the son's death. She decides to protect her two daughters, Shoq and Awatef, from poverty, so she returns to Cairo, continuing to beg.Egypt
- DirectorTrong Ninh LuuStarsKim Long ThachMy Uyên NgôQuach Ngoc NgoanVietnam
- DirectorSulev KeedusStarsTõnu OjaRain SimmulKetter HabakukkFilm about a man who was sent to fight in Afghanistan years ago, where he converted to Islam. He now returns home only to find himself facing another kind of war.The front line in the decrepit Estonian town runs between Eastern and Western culture, men and women, common sense and madness. Somewhere amidst these battles is his daughter, who Kirotaja has decided to find after all the years of absence. His only leads are the sound of his daughter crying, heard once on the telephone, and a dog-eared notebook full of letters addressed to her. But the town has other plans for him and the women running it seem to take him for their savior from the nagging feeling of emptiness that has enveloped them.Estonia
- DirectorEgor KonchalovskiyStarsFarhat AbdraimovNurullo AbdullayevDaniyar AhmetovKazakhstan
- DirectorJanez BurgerStarsLeon LucevRené BazinetPauliina RäsänenDescribed as a Slovenian war drama.78 (2), Disqualified, Slovenia
- DirectorJoão Nuno PintoStarsChulpan KhamatovaFernando LuísMaría BarrancoAmerica a tragic story told in a burlesque and ironic way, within a love triangle. Liza, a beautiful young Russian woman, is married to Victor, a small-time crook who lives on scheming and swindling, born and bred in Portugal. Fernanda, the ex wife, who ten year's passed decides to drop by, is the gang leader, an Andalusian Spaniard. Victor has to decide which women to follow, Liza cannot really leave him, Fernanda doesn't really want to stay. The six year old kid hangs everybody by a string. Eastern European newcomers give new business perspectives that are going to rock their small world by the beach: Cova do Vapor. A chaotic neighborhood of precarious housing located at Lisbon's gates, where the Tagus River meets the Atlantic, where fishermen and retired factory workers coexist. An obscure little place, where everything suddenly changes, even the weather. After a violent storm, the gangster's house gets a rusted fishing boat hanging on top of their home. In the midst of the tragedy, there's always room for love, and most of all, hope for a piece paper called passport, sometimes fake!Disqualified, Puerto Rico
Academy changed its rules to exclude U.S. protectorates