Maintaining their longstanding policy of locking up as many possible Foreign Oscar nomination contenders as feasibly possible, Sony Pictures Classics are adding Where Do We Go Now?, Lebanon’s official entry at the Oscars to their slate. After getting slammed by critics in Cannes and being cheered by audiences in Toronto, Nadine Labaki’s sophomore feature film (which follows Caramel, also Lebanon’s entry) will probably receive continued festival play and targeted screenings for the Academy joining the likes of their other promising titles in A Separation (Iran), In Darkness (Poland) and Israel’s Footnote.
Gist: On the edge of a cratered road, a cortège-like procession of women solemnly makes its way towards the village cemetery. Takla, Amale, Yvonne, Afaf and Saydeh stoically brave the oppressive midday heat, clutching photographic effigies of their beloved menfolk, lost to a futile, protracted and distant war…
Worth Noting: In a very recent spurt – this picked up the Cadillac People’s Choice Award at TIFF and the Best European Film at San Sebastian. Could this “new” appreciation for the film have been the trigger for a U.S rights deal? We think so.
Do We Care?: We thought her debut film (Carmel) was a fine crowd-pleaser, as perhaps we all the extra-attention the pic is receiving now we might give it another chance.
