Albania has selected Bujar Alimani’s The Delegation as its submission for the international feature film category at the 2020 Oscars.
The film, a co-production with France, Greece and Kosovo, is set in October 1990 when the communist regime of Albania is struggling to cling onto its grip on power.
When a European delegation is sent to Tirana to monitor political reforms essential for the country to be admitted to the European security body OSCE, officials come up with a ruse — releasing a long-term political prisoner to convince the Europeans all is well. But nothing goes as planned.
Written by Artan Minarolli and produced by Albania’s Art Film, the film is Alimani’s third submission to the Oscars. In 2011, his first submission Amnesty was made after a controversial decision to cancel a decision submitting American director Joshua Marston Forgiveness of Blood — set and shot in Albania — for the Academy Awards, when Alimana mounted a formal protest, insisting the U.S. director’s film did not count as Albanian.
In 2016 Alimani’s film Chromium was Albania’s Oscar submission. Albania has been submitting films to the Oscars since 1996 but has never been nominated.
The 92nd Academy Awards take place on February 9, 2020.
