The 80th Golden Globe Awards were held on January 10, 2023, following years of controversies for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA).
The organization behind the Golden Globes had become known for its lack of diversity and corruption allegations. A 2021 Los Angeles Times article reported that no Black members of the HFPA contributed to NBC’s decision not to air the award show that year.
A ceremony was held in 2022 but was small and untelevised due to increased COVID-19 cases.
The HFPA said it has “committed to transformational change” and moved forward with its televised award show this January.
Among the nominations were five non-English-language films, which, to qualify, must be a “motion picture drama or musical or comedy with more than 50% non-English dialogue”, according to the Golden Globes website. Keep reading to learn more about the nominees and the winner of the best non-English language film at this year’s Golden Globe Awards.
Best Non-English Language Films at the Golden Globes
The best non-English language film category (which used to be called best foreign language film) included five nominees for the 80th Golden Globes:
- Argentina, 1985
- All Quiet on the Western Front
- Close
- Decision to Leave
- RRR
Argentina, 1985 (Golden Globe Award winner)
Language: Spanish
Streaming: Amazon Prime Video
Argentina, 1985 is based on the true story of the Trial of the Juntas and those who worked to prosecute high-ranking members of the country’s civil-military dictatorship. This film won the award for best non-English language film.
All Quiet on the Western Front
Language: German
Streaming: Netflix
This anti-war film is based on the 1929 novel of the same name authored by Erich Maria Remarque. It tells the story of a young German soldier who enlists in WWI near the end of the conflict.
Close
Language: French
Streaming: Currently in theaters
This film focuses on the story of a young friendship torn apart. It was created by the team who also made the 2018 film Girl.
Decision to Leave
Language: Korean
Streaming: Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video
This South Korean mystery romance earned Park Chan-wook the Best Director award at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.
RRR
Language: Telugu
Streaming: Netflix
RRR tells a fictional story of two friends and revolutionaries before their fight for India against British rule. RRR earned a history-making Golden Globe Award for best song with Naatu Naatu, the first song from an Indian film to win this award.
Previous Non-English Language Films Golden Globes Winners
Curious about some of the previous foreign language films that were recognized with Golden Globe awards? Here’s a selection of a few previous winners in the foreign language category (now known as the non-English language category).
- Drive My Car – This Japanese-language film won the award during the 79th annual Golden Globes ceremony.
- Minari – This Korean-language film won during the 78th annual Golden Globes.
- Parasite – This highly-recognized Korean-language film took home the Golden Globe and multiple Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
- Roma – Roma took home the award at the 76th Golden Globes, and this Spanish-language film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards.
International Feature Films at the Oscars
The Golden Globes are just one of the many award ceremonies recognizing films. The Oscars recently announced nominations for the 95th Academy Awards, often considered the most prestigious film award. Instead of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, The Oscars are chosen by thousands of voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The Oscars shortlisted five international feature films:
- All Quiet on the Western Front
- Argentina, 1985
- Close
- EO (A Polish-language film following the emotional story of a donkey.)
- The Quiet Girl (An Irish-language film about a neglected girl who goes to live with relatives.)
The 95th Oscars will air on March 12, 2023, so there is still time to catch up on any of the international feature film nominees you have yet to see.
Looking for other fascinating language stories? Browse the ALTA Beyond Words Blog for more.
Stephanie Brown is a New York City-based travel blogger and freelance content creator.
You can find her at The Adventuring Millennial.