Another woman-directed film based on a true story has been added to the foreign-language Oscar race. On Monday Cambodia selected Angelina Jolie’s “First They Killed My Father” as its pick for the 2018 Academy Awards, and now comes word that Slovenia will submit Hanna Antonina Wojcik Slak’s “Rudar,” or “Miner.”
The former is an adaptation of human rights activist Loung Ung’s 2000 non-fiction book, and the latter is based on the experiences of a Bosnian miner who migrated to Slovenia. “In an abandoned mine, he discovers the remains of victims of post-World War II reprisal killings,” The Hollywood Reporter summarizes. “In his determination to fight for a decent burial of the executed people, he goes against his managers and loses his job.”
“Miner” premiered at the Slovenian Film Festival earlier this month. Slak’s previous credits include “Blind Spot” and “Teah.”
Other women-directed films submitted for consideration in the foreign-language category include Ana Urushadze’s “Scary Mother,” a psychological thriller, Annemarie Jacir’s “Wajib,” a dramedy about a father and his estranged son, and Agnieszka Holland’s “Spoor,” a crime drama about a woman seeking revenge after hunters kill her dog.
