In Munich, a jury led by actress Maria Furtwängler chose Edward Berger’s All Quiet on the Western Front to compete for the world’s top film award.
The film is based on the eponymous work of the German writer Erich Maria Remarque (Erich Maria Remarque), published in 1929, considered an example of an anti-war novel. Remarque paints a portrait of a generation that, in euphoria, goes to the front right from school and eventually dies in the meat grinder of the First World War. The novel was first filmed in 1930 in the United States and, having won two major Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture, became a film classic. The second version was filmed for television in 1979 and was awarded an Emmy and a Golden Globe. The new film adaptation – the third in a row and the first from Germany – will be released on the Netflix platform in the fall.
“Erich Maria Remarque wrote his novel almost a hundred years ago and, unfortunately, today it is more relevant than we could even imagine,” Edward Berger says in an interview. “To compete for the Oscar is a great honor. We have a long way to go,” he stressed.
Berger, who directed the acclaimed 2015 thriller series Deutschland 83, has put together a stellar cast. The leading role in the film is played by the young Austrian actor Felix Kammerer, known for his theater work in Vienna. Other roles are occupied by recognized stars: Daniel Brühl, Albrecht Schuch and Sebastian Hülk. Filming locations were Germany, Belgium and the Czech Republic.
Incidentally, All Quiet on the Western Front beat out eight other contenders, including Lieber Kurt, directed by director, producer and actor Til Schweiger. This is a film adaptation of the bestseller “Kurt” by Sarah Kuttner about the fate of a young family, in which Schweiger himself plays one of the main roles. The film is set to release on September 15th.
At the beginning of a long journey to a trophy
Winning the national vote is the first step on a long road to the coveted award. In December, a shortlist will be announced in the United States, which will include fifteen applicants in the category “Best International Feature Film” (Best Foreign Language Film until 2020). Five films will then be selected from this list, from which one winner will remain .
So, last year, Maria Schrader’s futuristic tragicomedy “I was made for you” (“Ich bin dein Mensch”) was shortlisted, but did not make it to the final. And the last winner in this nomination from Germany back in 2006 was the drama about life in the GDR “The Life of Others” (“Das Leben der Anderen”).
All Quiet on the Western Front opens in German cinemas on 29 September.
The film will be available to stream on Netflix on October 28.
The Oscars will take place on March 12, 2023 in Hollywood.
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