Back in the ‘80s, a commonly-heard rant was “I want my MTV.” It was, of course, a marketing ploy by MTV to get their channel added to cable systems. We were supposed to rise up as consumers and demand this channel like it was a birthright. But we really did want our MTV, so we asked for it, and before long we had it.
Here’s what I want today: I want my foreign films.
Some notable ones are missing. Every year the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences nominates 5 foreign language films for its coveted statuette. And as every filmmaker knows, there is no better publicity for their film than an Oscar nomination.
However, all the publicity doesn’t do diddly-squat if filmgoers can’t find the film. And that is what happens to most Oscar-nominated foreign language films, every year.