Sweden Selects Tarik Saleh’s ‘Eagles of the Republic’ as Oscar Submission

Tarik Saleh’s political thriller “Eagles of the Republic” has been selected as Sweden’s entry in the best international feature film category of the Academy Awards.

The film, the final installment in Saleh’s “Cairo Trilogy,” after Sundance winner “The Nile Hilton Incident” and Cannes prize-winning “Cairo Conspiracy,” features Fares Fares as Egypt’s most celebrated actor, George Fahmy, who reluctantly agrees to star in a regime‑commissioned propaganda biopic – only to find himself caught in political machinations, including an illicit affair with a general’s wife.

“Eagles of the Republic” is produced by Linus Stöhr Torell (Unlimited Stories), Linda Mutawi and Johan Lindström (Apparaten), and Alexandre Mallet-Guy (Memento Production). The project is co-produced by SVT, Film i Väst, and others, with development backed by the Swedish Film Institute.

The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the Cannes Film Festival. It will next play at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Saleh said: ”We are honored to have been selected to represent Sweden in such a strong year for Swedish film. Our journey only just started but it will be extra fun to screen the film in Toronto with this recognition.”

In an interview with Varietyat Cannes, Saleh had said: “What is politics? Politics is the relationship between power and people. So when you say ‘a political film,’ it might mean that it has an agenda, that it wants to convince you of a political view or of a way of looking at the world. My films are about human beings that are under the pressure of power systems. I’m very interested in power dynamics, but more like a spectator. I’m not an activist but I’m really fascinated by people in power. I actually know people that work within the presidency in Egypt. That’s where I get a lot of my information.”

The Oscar international feature shortlist will be announced on Dec. 16 and the final five nominees will be announced on Jan. 22.