Julia von Heinz’s “And Tomorrow the Entire World” has been selected to represent Germany in the best international feature film category of the Oscars. The film premiered in competition at the Venice Film Festival.
The decision was made by an independent jury, whose members were appointed by German Films. Ten films were submitted for selection.
The nine-member jury said in a statement: “At a time when democracy is coming under increasing pressure, Julia von Heinz poses the question of whether, and if so when, violence is justified or even necessary. Supported by an outstanding lead actress and shot in meticulous images, ‘And Tomorrow the Entire World’ confronts its audience with conflicts and decision-making processes that none of us can escape. A very personal film with great emotional impact.”
The film follows Luisa as she leaves her wealthy parents to study law. Her best friend introduces her to a rag-tag collective of Antifa activists drawn together by their will to fight for the cause and a disdain of conventions. In their mission to halt the continued rise of neo-Nazis across Germany, the group quickly comes to a crossroad: Does combatting hate justify violence?
As Luisa struggles to understand whether her actions are motivated by personal allegiances or political convictions, she and the group must decide what to do when the ideological fight against fascism becomes concrete.
The film was produced by Fabian Gasmia and Von Heinz; co-producers are John Quester, Thomas Jaeger and Antoine Delahousse. The production company is Seven Elephants in co-production with Kings & Queens Filmproduktion and Haiku Films. The distributor for Germany is Alamode Film, and Films Boutique is handling world sales.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will publish a list of all titles submitted in the international feature film category in the first week of December. On Feb. 9, the Academy will announce a shortlist of the 10 selected films still in the running for the Oscar in the category. From this short list, the five nominated films will be selected and announced on March 15. The award ceremony will take place on April 25.