Oscar Awards: Campanella and Francella will be at the ceremony

Argentine actor Guillermo Francella and director Juan Jose Campanella will attend the tonight’s Oscar Awards ceremony in Los Angeles, where they await the consecration of  “El Secreto de Sus Ojos” (The Secret of Their Eyes) as Best Foreign Film.

Meanwhile, other figures of the film, including Ricardo Darin, Soledad Villamil and Pablo Rago said they would follow the awards ceremony on television because they could not travel to Hollywood and had various work commitments at home.

The protagonist of the acclaimed film explained: “Firstly, I did not receive an invitation.” And he added: “Campanella knows I’m not very inclined to go, so it’s likely that they have even spared the effort to invite me.”

“And yes, I’m looking forward to Sunday’s ceremony, for better or for worse, but I want to get there now, because I’m exhausted with all this commotion,” joked the actor who will star Carancho, the next film by Pablo Trapero.

Campanella chose to take the pressure away, perhaps because it would play against his nerves. “I do not care if I win or lose, I want to have fun,” said Campanella during an interview with the daily Clarin.

With regard to the illusion that the nomination generated in Argentina, Campanella said, “I’d love to give them a good news, of course, but I would not like to be the reason of their dissapointment if the movie does not win.”

The Secret of  Their Eyes, premiered in Buenos Aires on 12 August 2009, garnered several awards, including the Goya award for best Latin American film in Spain, in addition to achieving distinction in Cannes, Berlin and the Festival of Latin American Film Havana.

The film is competing for the Oscar against the Peruvian film La Teta Austada; the Israeli Ajami, the french Un  profeta y the German La cinta blanca.­

Filmmakers and international actors believe the film has good chances and they even suspected that the designation of the Spanish actress Penelope Cruz as a presenter of one of the prizes can be a good omen of triumph.