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The race for the Oscars is providing good news for Basque film that is being felt in the US.  On the one hand, the film Loreak is being shown in US theaters (this week in Washington) and is receiving very good reviews.  On the other, the short documentary Minerita is on the shortlist of final candidates. 

Washington, DC, USA.   Two Basque films are currently in the US in the middle of the Oscar race, the most prestigious film awards in the world.  The Film Academy’s selection system takes nominee candidates on an intense promotional circuit in the days prior to the final nominations.  This is where the short documentary Minerita by Raul de la Fuente and the feature-length film Loreak by Jon Garaño and Jose Goenaga are right now.

Minerita is a documentary that shows the lives of three women Lucia (40), Ivonne (16) and Abigail (17) in the Cerro Rico mines in Potosi, Bolivia.  Poverty, violence, often sexual, are extreme in the area and these women survive as they can.  Ivonne, who is night guard has even had to light dynamite to defend herself.

The film was added to the Shortlist that includes 10 shorts, which will be reduced to five nominations in the category of Best Short Documentary.  Candidates will be announced on January 14 along with the other categories.

List of the 38 awards that Minerita has won so far at international festivals, here

Loreak great reviews

On the other hand, the film Loreak continues on its way to becoming a final candidate it the category of Best Foreign Language Film.  The feature-length film is being shown in theaters in the US and is gaining a large audience.  Today, tomorrow and the day after, it can be seen at the West End Theater in Washington DC (times and admission, here).

The film is also receiving very good reviews in some of the most prestigious magazines and periodicals.  In Variety it is being characterized as the “dark horse” and has been placed number 12 out of 81 on the final selection list.  The New York Times talks about the “great roles and splendid interpretations by its three main actresses,” while the Washington Post  qualifies it as “intensely memorable.”  That’s great news!  Keep it up Loreak and Minerita on this last push.