Canada picks 'Antigone' for International Feature Film category Oscar

Refugee family drama "Antigone", by writer-director Sophie Deraspe, is Canada's official entry for the International Feature Film category Oscar. The French-language film is an adaptation of classic Greek play of the same name written by Sophocles.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film focuses on a young woman, Antigone, whose life as a Canadian refugee and immigrant is turned upside down when one of her brothers is wrongfully gunned down during a drug arrest, and another is taken into custody. "Bringing 'Antigone' to the Oscar race is not only a huge honor. It's also a way for me to highlight the values of empathy, artistry, and integrity, which Canadian films exemplify so well," Deraspe said in a statement.

The film stars Nahema Ricci, Nour Belkhiria, Rawad El-Zein, Rachida Oussaada, Antoine Desrochers, Paul Doucet, and Nathalie Tanous. The 92nd Academy Awards will be announced on February 9, 2020.