"The Nightingale" was officially chosen as China's entry to the 87th Academy Awards, which will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, L.A., on Feb. 22, 2015.
Since "The Nightingale" was not directed by a Chinese director, many were surprised why the China film authority elected it as entry for the foreign language category to the 2015 Oscars, which will be hosted by "Gone Girl" actor Neil Patrick Harris.
Known for his internationally acclaimed 2002 film "Le Papillon" (The Butterfly), French director Philippe Muyl wrote and directed "The Nightingale."
The story of the film revolves around an elderly man from Beijing named Zhu Zhi Gen, who goes on a nostalgic road trip to the southern Chinese countryside with his spoiled granddaughter named Reng Xing, who is too dependent on digital technology.
Li Baotian plays the role of the grandfather who went back to his hometown in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region to fix his crumbling relationships and find peace.
Playing the granddaughter is Yang Xin Yi. She is joined by supporting actors Hao Qin as Zhu Chong Yi, the architect father, and Xin Yi Yang as the mother, a business executive.
There is still no explanation about "The Nightingale" being chosen as an entry to the Oscars' foreign language category, but it was rumored to have been selected because its theme is about nature and family and has nothing to do with Chinese government and politics.
Completed in 2012, "The Nightingale" is a Chinese-French co-production, with release date postponed several times for unclear reasons.
In September, "The Nightingale" was exclusively screened in Guangxi's capital city Nanning to meet one of the criteria of the Academy, which requires the entries to be shown in their home countries before the deadline for submission, China Daily reported.
Officially, "The Nightingale" will hit theaters in China on Oct. 31.
After Ang Lee's 2000 film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" starring Zhang Ziyi and Chow Yun Fat, China is yet to bag its second Best Foreign Language Film in the Oscars.