AFP
HOLLYWOOD-Mexican film director Alfonso Cuaron, nominated for an Oscar for the space thriller “Gravity”, sees foreigners in Hollywood today as part of a long industry tradition.
Cuaron spoke at an event late Friday organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for nominees in the Best Foreign Language Film category, to be awarded at Sunday’s Oscar ceremony. Cuaron took a long view when asked to comment on the large number of foreigners who are candidates for an Oscar this year. “This is an industry of immigrants,” said Cuaron, speaking in Spanish. “In the 30s and 40s and 50s the majority were German, Austrian and Hungarians.” “Among the virtues and defects of Hollywood, this is one of the great virtues,” he added. While Cuaron downplayed his chance of winning an Oscar for best director - “I don’t see my job as a horse race” - he was open in his admiration for the event.
The annual Cannes Film Festival in France, for example, “has a certain type of prestige,” he said. “But definitely the most famous awards are the Oscars. It is unquestionable.” Italian director Paolo Sorrentino was also modest about his widely hyped place as the front runner to win a foreign language film Oscar for “The Great Beauty.”  “It’s been very long.