Titanium: the Palme d’Or of Julia Ducournau completely snubbed by the Oscars

After being chosen to represent France at the Oscars, Titanium was finally sidelined from Oscar voters.

In 2021, French cinema once again demonstrated its liveliness and strength with the double victory of the most respected awards of international film festivals : the golden lion at the Venice Film Festival for The event by Audrey Diwan and the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival by Titanium by Julia Ducournau. The two films by the filmmakers were among the three films in the running, alongside North Bac, to represent France at the Oscars, in the category best international film.

Among these three finalists, Julia Ducournau’s feature film was chosen to represent the tricolor in the United States with the hope of finishing in the five nominated for the ceremony. This will unfortunately not be the case as revealed by the academy by unveiling the fifteen finalists of this first international selection whose final names will be unveiled on February 8.

“If if I take it well …”

Indeed, France was ousted from this pre-selection, already excluding, as in 2021, the presence of a French film among the nominees of this category best international film – whose last hexagonal concurrent was the very strong Wretched by Ladj Ly. As for the last Oscar for best foreign film won by France, we have to go back to 1993 and Indochina by Régis Wargnier.

This rejection of Titanium is not so surprising seen the divisive and disturbing aspect of the feature film, especially with the aging Academy of Oscars. The mix of genres, both cinematographic and sexual, the rough and brutal character of Ducournau’s staging and the destabilizing bifurcations of his story are all reasons that could have prejudiced the feature film whereas it is precisely these which make the film unique.

“Don’t worry, French cinema doesn’t need their golden thing there …”

The list of the fifteen finalists is then made up of the following films:

Note the presence of the winners in Cannes Compartment N ° 6, Drive my car, Julie (in 12 chapters) and A hero. In addition, Netflix comes to pass a head with the recent God’s hand by Paolo Sorrentino who will represent Italy. Note, however, two major absentees from these fifteen finalists : the Memoria by Apichatpong Weerasethakul and the Russian film Loose Fists which won the Un Certain Regard prize at the same Cannes Film Festival.

This list nevertheless remains rich in fascinating films. and it will be interesting to note which feature films will be selected for the nominees of this category which will be revealed, let us remember, on February 8. As for France, we just have to cry under our quilts on March 27, 2022, at the 94th Academy Awards which will take place, as usual, in Los Angeles.