India’s Homebound is among films that have qualified to be nominated under the category of Best International Feature Film in the 98th Academy Awards. According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the films were accompanied by nominations from 12 other categories, such as documentary, original song, original score, and a number of others, including a new award that is casting.
In total, 15 films have made the cut-off in the competition for International Feature Film, which received 86 entries from territories worldwide. The list includes films from Argentina’s Belén, Brazil’s The Secret Agent, France’s It Was Just an Accident, Germany’s Sound of Falling, from Iraq’s The President’s Cake, Japan’s Kokuho, from Jordan’s All That’s Left of You, from Norway’s Sentimental Value, Palestine’s Palestine 36, from South Korea’s No Other Choice, from Spain’s Sirât, Switzerland’s Late Shift, from Taiwan’s Left-Handed Girl, from Tunisia’s The Voice of Hind Rajab, and from India’s Homebound.
Members from every branch must take part in the preliminary stage of voting under Academy by-rule requirements; this entails watching the films that qualify to be nominated. During the final stage of nominations, voters must watch all 15 films nominated to take part in voting if they choose to be involved in this category.
In a small village within the state of Punjab in Northern India, “Homebound” is based on the true story of two best friends who have always dreamed of becoming police officers by passing the national police examination, a dream they associate with respect and economic gain. While the friends are on the cusp of realizing their collective dream of becoming policemen, the bond between them continues to unravel as a result of thwarted dreams and disillusionment.
The director, Neeraj Ghaywan, has reported that he was actually inspired by a true event he came across through an op-ed published in The New York Times. This event, which took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, was about friendship and survival in times of uncertainty. The director based his film on this event to explore a global concern, specifically migration. “Ultimately, Homebound is all about what propels people out of their homes,” Ghaywan clarified.
“It’s not simply a matter of job or finance, but also about the desire for dignity, identity, and existence.” In its personal observation on rural India, the movie explores the ever universal dilemmas surrounding the sense of belonging, the need to aspire, and the price to pay to seek stability in an uneven planet.
