‘Wolf Totem’ not Chinese enough
Print Edition
PLANS for “Wolf Totem” to be China’s submission for a foreign language Oscar this year have been abandoned because the movie fails to meet Academy Award requirements.
According to China Film News, Chinese officials were told there were too few Chinese nationals among the film’s creative staff to qualify.
Academy Award rules governing the foreign language section state that “the submitting country must certify that creative control of the motion picture is largely in the hands of citizens or residents of that country.”
While the main actors are Chinese, and the language predominantly Mandarin with some Mongolian, the team behind the Chinese-French co-production was largely foreign. It was directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, with music by American composer James Horner.
China had high hopes for “Wolf Totem,” one of an increasing number of collaborations with foreign countries that are enabling China’s film industry to develop its technical know-how.
Annaud said earlier this year that the film’s Chinese backers had initially wanted an “English-speaking movie with famous Chinese-American actors“ until he talked them out of it.
“Wolf Totem” tells the story of a Chinese student who is sent to live in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region among nomads during the “cultural revolution (1966-76)” and becomes fascinated with wolves. The crew spent three years training wolves for the movie.
The film had its Chinese premiere on February 19 and went on to become the country’s 10th highest-grossing film of the year, taking in US$110.5 million according to The Hollywood Reporter.
It became the hot tip to be China’s Oscar contender, beating acclaimed filmmaker Jia Zhangke’s “Mountains May Depart.”
In its place, China is to submit “Go Away Mr Tumor,” a romantic comedy about an optimistic woman coping with cancer. It has taken more than 500 million yuan (US$78.7 million) at the Chinese box office.
The last Chinese submission as a nomination for best foreign language film was Zhang Yimou’s “Hero,” in 2003.
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