The Best Feature Film category for the 2020 Golden Globes have 92 films from sixty-five different countries under consideration for the coveted awards.
This is the same category that caused major brouhaha when Genevieve Nnaji’s “Lionheart” booted out of the running for the 2020 Oscars. It is good to know we have African films that fit the award committee’s guidelines.
The rules for eligibility remains the same as that of the Oscars.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture produced outside the US with a predominantly non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
The submitted films must have been released theatrically in their respective countries between October 1, 2018, and September 30 2019.
Of the 92 films, 6 are from Africa and they include:
Ghana: The Burial of Kojo (Sam Blitz Bazawule)
“The Burial of Kojo” is the first Ghanaian film ever to be considered for a Golden Globes nomination. The film tells the story of the tumultuous relationship between two brothers Kojo and Kwabena through the eyes of a powerful girl named Esi. Her gift is the ability to travel between this world and the spiritual realm. It also touches on Ghana’s gold mining challenges and other aspects of the Ghanaian society.
Ethiopia: Running Against The Wind (Jan Philipp Weyl)
The story of two brothers whose lives take very different paths when they decide to follow their dreams – one to become an Olympic runner, the other a photographer. It features a cameo by gold medal-winning distance runner Haile Gebrselassie.
Algeria: Papicha (Mounia Meddour)
Nedjma, an 18-year-old student passionate about fashion design, refuses to let the tragic events of the Algerian Civil War stop her from having a normal life and going out at night with her friend Wassila. As the social climate becomes more conservative, she rejects the new bans introduced by the radicals. She decides to fight for her freedom and independence by putting on a fashion show.
Malawi: Boy Who Harnessed The Wind (Chiwetel Ejiofor)
Chiwetel Ejiofor’s directorial debut is based on the semi-autobiographical book of the same name. It follows a thirteen-year-old boy in Malawi who invents an unconventional way to save his family and village from famine.
Senegal: Atlantics (Mati Diop)
This is an award-winning Netflix original inspired by real-life experiences. It tells a story of Senegalese migrants who travelled to Spain in search of greener pastures. There is a love story between its protagonists, Ada and Souleiman all set in Senegal’s capital city, Dakar.
Morocco: Adam (Maryam Touzani)
Abla runs a modest local bakery from her home in Casablanca where she lives alone with her 8-year-old daughter, Warda. When Samia, a young pregnant woman knocks on their door, Abla is far from imagining that her life will change forever.
