Netflix nabs Oscar documentary contender “The Square”November 5, 2013 - 17:13 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Netflix has acquired rights to The Square, marking the first major acquisition for its original documentary initiative, The Hollywood Reporter said. The documentary, directed by Jehane Noujaim (Control Room), looks at the protests in Tahrir Square amid the political upheaval that has been ongoing in Egypt over the past two years. The title is considered a leading contender for this year's best documentary feature Oscar. It premiered in January at Sundance, where it nabbed the World Cinema audience award for a documentary. It also picked up the People's Choice documentary award in Toronto and screened last month at the New York Film Festival. The film will make its online debut on Netflix, in all territories where the service is available, in early 2014. "We are thrilled to be presenting an amazing film that brings to life in such a deeply human way one of the most important events of our time," said Lisa Nishimura, Netflix vp original documentary programming. "The Square is documentary filmmaking at the highest level -- a beautifully constructed chronicle of brave people struggling against insurmountable odds to make their country a much better place. One knows that history is unfolding on the screen before you when watching The Square." Noujaim continued, “Our dream for The Square is to inspire the hearts of as many people as possible, and by working with Netflix, we can ensure the film reaches a wide and diverse audience. Nothing about the making of this film has followed the norms, and that’s what makes it exciting. It is crucial for us as filmmakers, who have shot a documentary about people risking and losing their lives for their beliefs, to create a spirit of possibility." Added producer Karim Amer: "We see the deep value that Netflix places in this story of a very alive moment in world history and are thrilled they understand the power of this film to move, disrupt and inspire audiences worldwide." At Sundance, THR's reviewer, James Greenberg, deemed the title "a riveting firsthand account of the Egyptian revolution presented with remarkable immediacy and filmmaking skill." The film, which opened in an exclusive release Oct. 25 at New York City's Film Forum and expand to the Sundance Sunset Cinema in Los Angeles this past weekend, has grossed an estimated $32,700 to date. Related links: Top stories Ara Aivazian said Azerbaijan continues the traditions of Turkey after seizing territories and forced Armenians out. The creative crew of the Public TV had chosen 13-year-old Malena as a participant of this year's contest. She called on others to also suspend their accounts over the companies’ failure to tackle hate speech. Penderecki was known for his film scores, including for William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist”, Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining”. Partner news | Pashinyan visits flood-hit region Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Saturday, June 8 visited the disaster area in the Lori province. €3.5 mln EU grant to support justice reforms in Armenia The European Union has paid €3.5 mln grant to Armenia within a €11mln program on Support to Justice Reforms. Yerevan reacts to Baku’s proposal to see Minsk Group abolition Alen Simonyan has declared that Armenia is taking steps aimed at concluding a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State to travel to Armenia Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs James C. O’Brien will travel to Yerevan on June 10-12. |