TORONTO – Reeling from the historic devastation of the wildfires which broke out on January 7th, Los Angeles is set to host four major events within the next three years. With more than 150,000 displaced residents and grave concerns over the mishandling and rebuilding of their city’s infrastructure, the city is set to stage the 2026 Men’s World Cup, the 2027 Super Bowl, the 2028 Olympics and yes, the 97th Academy Award Ceremony.
For Maura Delpero, director of Vermiglio, this could be a night to remember. Winner of Venice Film Festival’s Silver Lion, Vermiglio is Delpero’s sophomore film. She debuted with Maternal, about a convent-run shelter for single mothers. But this year, her post WWII period drama about a soldier arriving in an Alpine village and shifting the dynamics between three sisters, is making major waves. After it’s Venice splash, the film was picked up by several distributors and just recently released in the US and Canada on Dec 25th by Sideshow and Janus Films.
Since 1956, the Academy’s inaugural year for the Best Foreign Film Award, Italian films have been nominated 33 times, of which it won 11. Italy’s most recent trip to the Oscars was with Paolo Sorrentino’s Hand of God in 2022 – which lost to Japan’s Drive My Car, a haunting road movie about a man confronting the mysteries of his wife’s passing. Delpero faces stiff competition this year should she get the nomination, as France’s Emilia Perez – a Spanish language musical – appears to be the critical darling and top contender for the golden statue.
But this month, the Italian filmmaker received a gushing endorsement from New Zealand filmmaker and Academy Award winner Jane Campion (The Piano), who wrote an open letter describing her reaction to the Italian film. Here’s an excerpt:
“Vermiglio” has put a spell over me…I also feel deep appreciation for Maura Delpero’s formidable skills as a director managing a story of this scope with such steadiness and maturity. I felt held and interested in this world all the time… Vermiglio is a gift.
I further realise it must have been an incredible mission to make this film; the difficulties of the weather, shooting in such cold weather and in the snow where you have to be careful of crew footsteps churning up fresh fall. And such a large cast, and so many children, all so at ease and relaxed together. That is hard to do. The crew, d.o.p. Mikhail Krichman, and cast are uniformly excellent.
I can’t help but wonder what Delpero will make next. I am excited by her strengths and determination as well as the beauty she achieves in Vermiglio, I am a fan! – Jane Campion.
The official nomination announcement, which was previously scheduled for Friday, January 17, was moved to Thursday, January 23 at 5:30 a.m. PT. The contenders will be announced during a live and in-person affair.
(Images courtesy of Janus Films)
Massimo Volpe is a filmmaker and freelance writer from Toronto: he writes reviews of Italian films/content on Netflix
