Oliver Laxe nominated for Oscars film review in Brazil

En español

Being nominated for an Oscar for the first time is usually a once-in-a-lifetime thrill. Earning two nominations in the same debut year, especially without being part of Hollywood, can feel almost transcendent. For Spanish director Oliver Laxe, whose film Sirât landed him among the Oscars 2026 nominees, the milestone appears to have also come with a moment that set social media on fire.

As users on X, Instagram, and TikTok quickly pointed out, it may have helped to remember what happened last year after actress Karla Sofía Gascón made comments about Fernanda Torres, a controversy that ultimately derailed the Oscar momentum of her film Emilia Pérez.

Just hours after Sirât's nominations were announced (Best Sound and Best International Film,) Laxe appeared on the RTVE talk show La Revuelta, hosted by David Broncano, to discuss his success. Between jokes, reflections on the state of cinema, and commentary on the depth of his film, the director made a remark about Brazilian voters that quickly drew backlash.

"There is the Brazilian film O Agente Secreto by Kleber Mendonça Filho, and of course there are many Brazilians in the Academy and we love them very much, but they are ultra-nationalistic. I think if Brazilians submitted a shoe to the Oscars, they would all vote for it," Laxe said, before adding, "But maybe it is a very good film and the team is very good."

The first part of the statement landed heavily with Brazilian viewers of the program and with those who encountered the clip on social media. The reaction was swift and intense.

Many responses focused on factual context. O Agente Secreto received four Oscar nominations, compared with Sirât's two. Out of nearly 11,000 Academy members, only about 15 percent are non-American, and roughly 1 percent are Brazilian. Spanish members actually outnumber them, undercutting the idea of Brazilian voting dominance.

The backlash also highlighted industry realities. Spanish films have historically had stronger visibility and commercial reach in the United States, not only among Academy voters but with general audiences as well.

In addition, Sirât was produced by El Deseo, the company founded by Pedro Almodóvar, one of the most influential non-English-language filmmakers in the world. Two years ago, Almodóvar was the subject of a dedicated exhibition at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, a level of institutional recognition few directors achieve.

Still, those contextual corrections were quickly overshadowed by memes and viral jokes, many of them drawing parallels to the Emilia Pérez controversy. Online users recalled how Gascón's comments prompted Brazilian fans to resurface old racist and Islamophobic tweets, a chain reaction that damaged not only her Oscar prospects but her broader professional outlook.

Other Latin American users have since joined the criticism, amplifying the discussion beyond Brazil.

Here are some of the most widely shared reactions are already circulating, and the controversy shows no signs of slowing down.

"We thought this Oscars were going to be boring, but this year's Karla Sofía Gascón is Oliver Laxe. He has made Brazilian his enemies and they will find even his baptism certificate"

"Brazilian Twitter going after Oliver Laxe"

"The movie is called 'how to lose your Oscar in one day'

"Oliver Laxe is xenofobic"

"Spain presents the category of desperate 'assxxle' with the new Karla Sofía Gascón Oliver Laxe."

Originally published on Latin Times