Chile has announced today that Neruda, the sixth film by Pablo Larraín will be the country's official entry to the Academy Awards in the foreign language film race. This is the fourth time—and second year in a row—that the South American nation selects a film by Larraín as it's Oscar candidate after Tony Manero in 2008, No in 2012, and The Club in 2015. Larraín earned Chile's only Academy Award nomination with No.
Having just had its North American premiere at the Telluride and Toronto Film Festival, Neruda tells the story of a determined police inspector (played by Mexican actor Gael García Bernal) who searches for Chilean politician and writer Pablo Neruda (Luis Gnecco) after he goes into hiding in 1948.
The 89th edition of the Academy Awards is looking very promising for Larraín. Not only Neruda has earned positive reviews (it will be released in the United States this fall by the hand of The Orchard), but his latest film and English language debut Jackie has been the talk of the town at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals where it just premiered.
