Saudi Arabia has selected Anas Ba Tahaf’s film “A Matter of Life and Death” as its official submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards. Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, and Variety report that the movie is a Jeddah-set story featuring an unlikely romance.
Across the outlets, the film is described in slightly different terms—ranging from romantic fantasy to black comedy—while the core premise remains the same. Variety and Deadline highlight its tone as quirky and comedic, with love developing “against the odds.” The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline also note the starring roles, with Sarah Taibah and Yaqoub Al Farhan as the central couple.
The articles also provide context about production and authorship: Tahaf is the director, and Variety adds that the film is his directorial debut. The nominations for the Oscars’ international feature category are decided later by the Academy, after national submissions are submitted for consideration.
