英语文摘:Movie featuring Lula to compete for Oscar

BRASILIA, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- The movie "Lula -- Brazil's son" about the popular Brazilian president will represent the South American country to compete for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language Film category, the Ministry of Culture said Thursday.

The decision was made unanimously by a committee composed of officials of the Ministry, the Audiovisual Secretariat, the National Cinema Agency and the Brazilian Academy of Cinema.

The movie, directed by Fabio Barreto and starring Ricardo Rui Dias as President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, is based on the biography with the same title written by journalist Denise Parana. It tells the story of Lula's life, starting with his birth in 1945 in Pernambuco state.

It shows his family moving to Sao Paulo in search of a better life, his career as a union leader in Sao Bernardo and his mother's death, when Lula was 35 years old and pursued by the military dictatorship.

"We voted for the movie that seemed the best produced, which honors the Brazilian cinematography," Roberto Farias, president of the Brazilian Academy of Cinema, said.

Gloria Pires, a well-known Brazilian actress who plays the role of Lula's mother, is an excellent candidate for Best Actress Award, Farias said.

The movie's director Barreto cannot be informed of the nomination because he has been in a coma since late 2009, following a car accident in Rio de Janeiro.

Films from 95 countries are competing for nominations in the Oscars' Best Foreign Language Film category. The nominees will be announced on Jan. 25, 2011, and the award ceremony will take place on Feb. 27, 2011.