Catalan-language ‘Alcarràs’ chosen as Spain’s Oscars entry

Carla Simón’s second feature film ‘Alcarràs’ has been chosen as Spain’s entry for the Oscars.

The Catalan-language movie already won the Golden Bear at the Berlinale International Film Festival in the German capital in February, the highest award at one of the world's most prestigious film festivals. 

It will now be considered for a nomination for Best International Feature Film. Award nominations will be announced on January 24, and the 95th Academy Awards presentation will take place on Sunday, March 12, in Los Angeles, California.

'Alcarràs' is the third ever Catalan-language film to be selected as Spain's submission for the Academy Awards after 2010's 'Pa Negre,' directed by Agustí Villaronga. While the second one was 'Estiu 1993' (Summer 1993), Simón's first movie.

Alcarràs, de Carla Simón, representará a España en los Premios Oscar 2023. pic.twitter.com/vXG3RlnY2I

— Academia de Cine (@Academiadecine) September 13, 2022

The film arrived in cinemas in the spring and very quickly became the biggest Spanish box office hit of the year, selling 300,000 tickets in its first month, and taking in €1 million in theatres not even two weeks after its commercial release.

After picking up the Golden Bear award in Berlin, the achievement was dubbed a "historic turning point" for Catalan cinema by those working in the industry. 

The movie is a tribute to rural life, family farms, and respectful agriculture. It tells the story of the last fruit harvest that a family goes through on their farm where they have cultivated peaches for generations before they must leave the land after the owners decide to install solar panels. 

Much of the film takes place at the family home surrounded by the fields where they work. Here, we see the family gradually come to grips with their new reality.

'Alcarràs' is Carla Simón's second film, after 'Estiu 1993' (Summer 1993) – in both productions, her personal story is obvious.

Have a listen to our Filling the Sink podcast in order to get an in-depth analysis of the movie, its director and the current situation of Catalan cinema.