BAFTA selects Welsh-Spanish lingo pic
By Adam Dawtrey
"Patagonia"
The Welsh / Spanish language "Patagonia" is the U.K.'s submission for the foreign-language Oscar, joining the 60-plus other entries submitted by their countries and reported by Variety since last August.
"Patagonia," from Welsh director Marc Evans, was chosen by BAFTA's film committee. The organisation only enters a film for the foreign-language Oscar race when it considers it is a contender with a realistic chance of a nomination. The last film it put forward was "Afghan Star" in 2009. The U.K. has submitted nine films in the past 20 years, seven of them Welsh.
A complete list of the 63 entries this year is available at variety.com. The 84th Academy Awards will be held Feb. 26 at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.
"Patagonia," with dialogue in Welsh and Spanish, stars Matthew Rhys and pop star Duffy in the story of two parallel journeys, one by a Welsh couple who take a trip to Argentina to work on their relationship, and another by an elderly Patagonian woman and her nephew who travel to Wales in search of their family roots.
"Hedd Wynn" in 1993 and "Solomon and Gaenor" in 1999, received Oscar nominations, but the U.K. has never won the award. "Patagonia" premiered at the Seattle Film Festival in 2010, and subsequently played at several other fests, before getting a small U.K. theatrical release this March.
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