"The Artist" is a French produced film, with Thomas Langmann (the son of famous French film producer and director Claude Berri) as producer, who received the Oscar for Best Picture. "The Artist" was the first non-Anglo-Saxon film to receive the Best Picture award.
"The Artist" leading actor Jean Dujardin became the first Frenchman to win a Best Actor Oscar for acting for his role in the silent film billed as a "love letter to American film". One of the strengths of the film is that its own tale of an industry in revolution (from silent movies to "talkies") resonates with Hollywood today which is currently transitioning into the digital and 3D era.
French Cinema, with its long history and fine tradition, is still thriving and even active in South Africa through a number of initiatives. In fact, last year the Franco-South African co-production "Skoonheid" was selected to appear at the Cannes Film Festival following South African director Olivier Hermanus' attendance at Cinéfondation in Paris from October 2009 to February 2010, where he wrote the screenplay.
"The Artist" will be released in South Africa on 5 April 2012.
