Croatia’s Oscar Candidate – Halima’s Path

Members of the commission of the Film Artists’  Association of Croatia have decided that Halima’s Path, directed by Arsen Anton Ostojić, will represent Croatian cinema in the selection process of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the Oscar award in the best foreign film category.

Halima’s Path is a story about a Muslim woman named Halima who is trying in vain to find the body of her son killed during the war and buried in a mass grave. She refuses to give blood for DNA analysis to hide the fact that he was not her biological, but secretly adopted son. The film directed by Arsen Anton Ostojić, written by Feđa Isović and produced by Arkadena Zagreb, won a Golden Arena at the 59th Pula Film Festival for best supporting actress (Olga Pakalović) and Pula Golden Gate Award. It has been successfully presented at a series of renowned international festivals including Cottbus, Tallinn, Festroia and SEEfest in Los Angeles. The nominations for the 86th Academy Award will be made public on 16 January 2014 and the official award ceremony is scheduled for 2 March 2014.

There is also a Croatian presence at Europe’s prestigious film awards. The European Film Academy (EFA) has selected The Priest’s Children by Vinko Brešan and Circles by Srdan Golubović among 46 best European films in 2013, including them in the pre-selection process for the European Film Award. The 26th award ceremony takes place on 7 December in Berlin.