Oscars 2017 Best Short Film Award: “Enemies Within” To Represent The Arab World

Short film “Enemies Within”, which is directed by the French Algerian first time director, Salim Azzazi, is nominated for the Oscars 2017 Best Short Film, as announced by the American Academy for Motion Picture Arts and Sciences two days ago.

Algerian director Azzazi will represent the Arab cinema for this year’s Oscars nominations, which awards will be announced on February 26.

Events of “Enemies Within” took place in the nineties of the last century, during the period of terrorism in Algeria, which reaches France, and two men with two different identities sharing the same fight.

Regarding the category of Short Documentaries that are nominated for the Oscars, two films derived their events from the Arab world’s present reality, as the first “My Homeland” (Watani), is directed by Marcelo Mettelsiefen”, as its events pictured a Syrian family that escaped from the cycle of war and tried to begin a new life in Germany. 

Second movie “The White Helmets” is directed by Orlando Von Einsiedel, and its events are set in the context of the air attacks on civilians during the civil war in Syria, where there were people who risk their lives to rescue victims from under the rubble.

Previously, “Enemies Within” won the Best Short Film Award in Tetouan Film Festival.

Oscars 2017 academy nominated nine Arab films including “clash”, directed by the Egyptian Mohamed Diab, “Very Big Shot” which is directed by the Lebanese Mir Jean Bou Chaaya, and the “Well” by the Algerian director, Lotfi Bouchouchi, who did not continue the trip after being unable to enter the long list.