Wim Wenders’ drama “Perfect Days” is nominated for an Oscar as best foreign film.
The nominations for the 2024 Oscars were announced on January 23, 2024. A legendary German director can once again be happy: directorial legend Wim Wenders is nominated for the best foreign film for his film “Perfect Days” – but for Japan and not for Germany.
It is Wenders’ first nomination in this category – but by no means his first nomination for the coveted film award. In 1999 he was nominated for an Oscar in the category “Best Documentary Feature” for “Buena Vista Social Club”. This was followed in 2012 by a nomination for the 3D documentary “Pina”. In 2015 he was once again nominated in the documentary category for “The Salt of the Earth” (together with Juliano Ribeiro Salgado). So far, the 78-year-old has come away empty-handed.
Details about “Perfect Days”
“Perfect Days” is a drama set in Tokyo. It’s about a man named Hirayama who cleans toilets in Tokyo’s Shibuya district – and devotes himself to the arts in his free time. However, unforeseen events reveal more and more details from his past.
The role of Hiryama is played by Kōji Yakusho; other roles include Arisa Nakano, Tokio Emoto and Yumi Aso. Yakusho won the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for his role. Wenders was awarded the ecumenical jury prize. The film was produced by Master Mind Limited (Japan) and Spoon Inc. (Japan) in collaboration with Wenders Images.
Wenders on honor: “Wim, sit down”
Wender had faced “Oscars.org“He was delighted in advance that his film was in the running for Japan. “I was a little shocked when they called me and said, ‘Wim, sit down. Perfect Days is the Japanese entry for the Oscars’ There were several great Japanese films at Venice and Cannes this year, so they could have easily chosen another film! I simply understood the nomination as an act of recognition for the leading actor Kôji Yakusho. After winning the Best Actor award at Cannes, he was greeted by hundreds of people at the airport when he returned home. He is much loved there and it was the first time he received international recognition. “The way I look at it is that he was sent into the Oscar race and as a director I am his henchman,” said Wenders.