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The Necessities of Life: Canada’s Oscar Pick for 2008
Montréal, September 16, 2008 - Telefilm Canada, which chairs the Canadian selection committee, is pleased to announce that The Necessities of Life (Ce qu’il faut pour vivre), directed by Benoit Pilon, has been submitted for nomination as Best Foreign Language Film at the 81st annual Academy Awards.
It's the beginning of the 1950s and Tivii, an Inuit hunter, is flown to a Quebec sanatorium to be treated for tuberculosis. Weak, unable to communicate or to understand others, and far from his loved ones, Tivii decides to give up and to give in to death. His nurse, Carole, however, understanding Tivii’s desolation, refuses to let him slip away and arranges for a young Inuit named Kaki, to be transferred to his sanatorium. Kaki knows white society well and helps Tivii decode his situation. Tivii’s pride and will to live are further helped by his teaching Kaki about the ways of their land and of the Inuit people.
Eligibility for Foreign Language Film Award
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited 96 countries to submit their top film for consideration. The rules state that the film must be first released in the country submitting it no earlier than October 1, 2007, and no later than September 30, 2008, and be first publicly exhibited by means of 35mm or 70mm film or in a qualifying digital cinema format for at least seven consecutive days in a commercial motion picture theatre. In addition, the recording of the original dialogue track as well as the completed film must be predominantly in a language or languages other than English.
The nominees for the 81st Academy Awards will be announced on January 22, 2009.
Canadian Selection Committee
The pan-Canadian selection committee is chaired by a non-voting Telefilm Canada representative and comprises 24 voting members representing major film industry associations and government agencies. Telefilm Canada works this way with the industry to help raise the visibility and prestige of domestic productions with Canadian and international audiences.
The Necessities of Life was chosen from among the 16 eligible films submitted by producers this year. Only one picture is accepted from each country. Five films are nominated by vote of the Academy’s Foreign Language Film Award Committee. Films submitted for this award may also compete in other categories provided they meet the specific category requirements.
Last year, Denys Arcand’s L’Âge des ténèbres (Days of Darkness) was chosen by the Canadian selection committee as Canada’s Oscar Pick.
Over the years, four Canadian picks have been nominated for Best Foreign Language Film. Deepa Mehta’s Water made the cut in 2006, as did Denys Arcand’s Le Déclin de l'empire américain (The Decline of the American Empire) in 1986, Jésus de Montréal (Jesus of Montreal) in 1989, and Les Invasions barbares (The Barbarian Invasions), which took home the coveted award for 2003.
Developing and promoting the Canadian audiovisual industry
Telefilm Canada is a federal cultural agency dedicated to developing and promoting the Canadian audiovisual industry. Telefilm provides financial support to the private sector to create distinctively Canadian productions that appeal to domestic and international audiences. The Corporation also administers the funding programs of the Canada Feature Film Fund, the Canadian Television Fund and the Canada New Media Fund.
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Media inquiries: Téléfilm Canada
Alejandra Sosa,
(514) 283-6363 #2505 or 1-800-567-0890
sosaa@telefilm.ca
Canadian Selection Committee – 81st Annual Academy Awards
Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television
Alberta Motion Picture Industries Association
Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA)
Alliance québécoise des techniciens de l'image et du son (AQTIS)
Canadian Film and Telefilm Production (CFTPA)
Association des producteurs de films et de télévision du Québec (APFTQ)
Association québécoise des critiques de cinéma
Association des réalisateurs et réalisatrices du Québec (ARRQ)
British Columbia Film
Canada Council for the Arts
New Brunswick Film
Film Nova Scotia
Directors Guild of Canada (DGC)
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
National Film Board of Canada
SaskFilm
Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corporation
Ontario Media Development Corporation
Société des auteurs de radio, télévision et cinéma du Québec (SARTEC)
Société de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC)
Manitoba Film & Sound
Technology PEI
Telefilm Canada (chair, non-voting)
Union des artistes
Yukon Film & Sound Commission
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