Israeli film 'Footnote' to tread Oscar red carpet

Four years after stepping on to the red carpet of the Academy Awards for his film "Beaufort," Israeli director Joseph Cedar will be returning this year with his new movie, "Footnote." The film was officially nominated in the category of Best Foreign Language Film, and will compete for a golden statuette at the 84th Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 26.

"Footnote" is a family drama about a father and son who are both Talmudic scholars at the Hebrew University, and involves a rivalry surrounding the acceptance of the Israel Prize. It stars legendary Israeli comedic actor Shlomo Bar-Aba as the father and Lior Ashkenazi, of "Walk on Water" fame, as his son. In September, "Footnote" clinched the Ophir Award – the Israeli equivalent of the Oscar – for best picture, as well as eight other trophies. The film also won the Best Screenplay award at the Cannes International Film Festival in May, and was snapped up by Sony Pictures Classics for North American distribution.

Only minutes after it was announced that "Footnote" was nominated for an Oscar contender, a press conference was hurriedly organized in Tel Aviv. Cedar looked bewildered at the sight of the masses of camera crews surrounding him.

"It must be a slow news day," the director said with a smile. "I feel like a lucky guy, there is no other way to say it. Despite expectations to the contrary, the film was able to garner fans, and that is a major source of satisfaction. We were aware that initial screenings had been warmly received, but still we were very surprised," Cedar said.

He refused to try to predict the chances his film would win, saying, "The movie deals with what happens when you introduce an award into one's routine life, which sometimes changes everything." The director added with a laugh, "In reality, just as in the film, there is slight concern that this could all be a mistake."

Have you seen the foreign films you will be competing against-

"I have seen some. The category this year is filled with excellent films. I got the chance to meet the Iranian director [Asghar Farhadi – nominated for the film "A Separation"]. We met up at a few points along the way and we share the same distributor, Sony Pictures. [Farhadi] speaks using a translator, so maybe I'm not fully understanding him [Cedar says with a laugh], but we have interesting conversations and we have some common ground. I think there something very poetic about us both being at the awards."

How are you planing to promote the film before the awards ceremony-

"We are flying to the U.S. beforehand. This will be our opportunity to talk about the film and network with colleagues. We plan on promoting the film as much as possible."

Making a fashionably late entrance to the press conference, Bar-Aba looks similarly taken aback by the massive media presence. "We have taken this way out of proportion," the veteran actor said. "This country is so thirsty for good news that it's heartwarming. I feel as if I'm at my bar mitzvah. I have never received so many phone calls from well-wishers. This film put me on an unknown journey, an adventure. You dream a deep dream, and suddenly it turns into a national event. I'm shocked."

Ashkenazi, an award-winning screen and stage actor, was unable to attend the press conference but in a phone conversation said of the Oscar nod, "I'm very excited. This is the last thing I thought would happen. This film keeps offering up surprises. I think this film has presented me with more surprises than any other film throughout my acting career."

Katriel Schory, head of the Israeli Film Fund, which supported "Footnote," said of the nomination, "If 10 years ago someone had said to that Israel would be nominated for an Oscar four times within five years – we could never imagined such a thing."

"This is huge news," said Culture and Sport minister Limor Livnat (Likud) on Tuesday. Offering her congratulations to Cedar, the minister added, "This is a great honor for the state of Israel and for you personally. Hats off to you. Now all that's left is to keep our fingers crossed. I believe this time the night will end with a statuette."

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