'Drive My Car' Cast and Crew React to Surprise Oscar Nominations

etonline.com:

2022 Oscar nominations were announced on Tuesday, and one pleasant surprise was the recognition for a Japanese drama that has become the latest foreign-language nominee to break out of the International Film category and earn major Academy recognition.After a Best Foreign Language Film win at the Golden Globes earlier this year,  -- directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi and based on Haruki Murakami's short story of the same name -- was certainly expected to be a contender in the Best International Feature Film category.

However, the film scored additional nods for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as a Best Picture nomination.Members of the cast and crew reacted to the nominations in statements to ET. (Hamaguchi was in transit on his way to serve on the international jury at the 2022 Berlin Film Festival at the time of the announcements.)«Many of us filmmakers would probably say that the first movie we saw when we were children was an American one.

The stories were dramatic, the images and sounds were powerful and dynamic, and the actors were fascinating. With an onscreen history that has influenced the world, the United States is truly a film kingdom.

To be nominated for the Academy Award is a dream come true. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to director Ryusuke Hamaguchi and all the wonderful people I worked with to make this film.