Oscars 2017: Best Foreign Film Directors Pen Remarkable Statement

The directors of the five Oscar-nominated foreign-language films have come together to issue a joint statement on Friday, condemning nationalist politics, and dedicated the prize to those working towards ensuring peace and unity among all.

Here’s what they have said:

On behalf of all nominees, we would like to express our unanimous and emphatic disapproval of the climate of fanaticism and nationalism we see today in the U.S. and in so many other countries, in parts of the population and, most unfortunately of all, among leading politicians. Regardless of who wins the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film on Sunday, we refuse to think in terms of borders. We believe there is no best country, best gender, best religion or best color. We want this award to stand as a symbol of the unity between nations and the freedom of the arts. Human rights are not something you have to apply for. They simply exist — for everybody. We dedicate this award to all the people, artists, journalists and activists who are working to foster unity and understanding, and who uphold freedom of expression and human dignity — values whose protection is now more important than ever.

The letter was signed by the directors of the five nominated films — Martin Zandvliet (Denmark’s Land of Mine), Hannes Holm (Sweden’s A Man Called Ove), Martin Butler and Bentley Dean (Australia’s Tanna), Asghar Farhadi’s (Iran’s The Salesman) and Maren Ade (Germany’s Toni Erdmann).

The 89th Academy Awards are expected to have a deluge of political statements.

Farhadi had earlier made a statement of sorts when he declared that he will not be attending the Oscars in protest of Trump’s Muslim ban. The US President had banned seven Muslim majority countries, Iran being one of them.

While the foreign films nominated for the Oscars are not political, Land of Mines is set against the World War II backdrop.

(Source: Los Angeles Times)