Oscar nods for Polish co‑production 'Area of Interests': Puszczyńska eyes victory

The complete list of Oscar nominees was unveiled on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, in the afternoon EET. Unfortunately, "Peasants" by DK and Hugh Welchmans did not make the list, even though it was initially predicted to gain nominations in several categories. However, the list does include projects with Polish involvement.

"Area of Interests" by Jonathan Glazer might not have the highest number of nominations (with "Oppenheimer" by Christopher Nolan securing 13, "Poor Beings" by Yorgos Lanthimos claiming 11, and "Time of Bloody Moon" by Martin Scorsese earning 10), but its performance is commendable nonetheless. This film, produced in Poland, the UK, and the United States, has progressed to the final round in five categories: best film, director, adapted screenplay, international cinema, and sound.

One of the producers, Ewa Puszczyńska, addressed its potential for winning the biggest prizes. - We're preparing a campaign and looking forward to the Academy voting outcomes. Regardless of the results, two things are certain: we've produced a phenomenal film - which I'm not embarrassed to call a masterpiece - and we've won five nominations. I believe we stand a chance to win at least one Oscar. But if we don't, no worries. We still have an incredible film. - she stated during a press conference organized by the Polish Film Institute.

The co-producer of "Area of Interests" confirmed that the project was initiated by its director, Jonathan Glazer, and British producer Jim Wilson. - We managed to work as one team, so these nominations are a collective achievement. - Puszczyńska, who was responsible for two major Polish hits on the international stage, "Ida" and "Cold War" by Paweł Pawlikowski, highlighted. She was also the producer of "Aida" by Jasmila Žbanić, an Oscar-nominated co-production with Polish involvement, and "Silent Twins" by Agnieszka Smoczyńska.

It's worth pointing out that several Polish names are featured in the list of creators for "Area of Interests". The most significant of these may be Łukasz Żal ("Cold War", "Maybe It's Time to Finish"), who was in charge of the film's cinematography. Joanna Kuś and Katarzyna Sikora handled the set decoration, and Małgorzata Karpiuk designed the costumes.

We'll have to wait a little longer for the results. The 96th annual Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards ceremony will be held from March 10th to March 11th, EET, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.