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Best International Feature Film goes to…
The Oscars are due in just two days, on 26 April. Last year, a few weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic hit Europe and the Americas, the South Korean film ‘Parasite’, directed by Bong Joon-ho, won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, but also the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. This was a historical moment: ‘Parasite’ was the first South Korean film to have been nominated in these categories, as well as the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. This year, there will be a total of 23 Academy Awards. Of those, the one I’m most excited about…
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6 French and Italian crime series to watch
Bonjour! Or, should I say Buongiorno? A couple of months ago, I published two posts about Greek covers of French and Italian songs respectively. Then, earlier this month, I published two posts about some of my favourite French and Italian films. Today, I discuss some of the French and Italian crime series I’ve recently watched. 3 French crime series to watch The Mantis (La Mante) ‘The Mantis’ is a French crime series available on Netflix. There are a total of six 50-to-60-minute-long episodes, where a convicted serial killer, known as the Mantis, helps the Police track down the perpetrator of copy-cat murders. The Other Mother (Maman a tort) Based on…
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25 French films worth watching
Oscars are due in just over two weeks, on 26 April. This year, there will be a total of 23 Academy Awards. Of those, the one I’m most excited about is the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (previously known as Best Foreign Language Film). So far, the most awarded foreign country is Italy (with 14 Oscars won), while France is the second most awarded one (12 Oscars), as well as the foreign country with the most nominations (37). Today, I’d like to take the opportunity to discuss some of my favourite French films. Portrait de la jeune fille en feu ‘Portrait de la jeune fille en feu’ (‘Portrait…
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12 (+1) Italian films to watch
The 93rd Academy Awards ceremony, honouring the best films of 2020, is due to take place on 25 April. I recently watched the film ‘The Life Ahead’ (‘La vita davanti a sé’) by Edoardo Ponti and starring Sophia Loren. Set in Bari, it is based in the novel ‘The Life Before Us’, which is set in Paris instead. Although the film has not been nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, the song ‘Io sì (Seen)’ written by Diane Warren and performed by Laura Pausini has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Inspired by ‘The Life Ahead’, I have been reflecting on some…