Andrei Konchalovsky's 'Paradise' nominated for an Oscar

Russian director Andrei Konchalovsky's film Paradise has been nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

The film is about World War II and the Holocaust. The plot intertwines the fates of Olga, a Russian émigré who is part of the French Resistance, French collaborationist Jules and Helmut, an SS officer. The film was first screened at the Venice Film Festival, in which Konchalovsky won the Silver Lion Award for Best Director.

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Film critic and writer Anton Dolin believes the Russian film has a chance at winning, although the competition is strong. "I haven't seen all the films on the list but I can definitely say that there is one powerful and dignified competitor. This is a film that was underestimated at Cannes and that recently won the European Oscar, Maren Ade's Toni Erdmann."

Dolin notes that Konchalovsky is well-known in America, having filmed several movies in Hollywood, and films about WWII and the Holocaust are always well received by the Oscar committee.

"In the last two years, films about the war have received awards for Best Foreign Language Film: Ida and Son of Saul. Why shouldn't the academy honor a film on a similar subject?!" Dolin exclaimed.

Read more: 4 questions about Konchalovsky's ‘Paradise’>>>

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