Once upon a time, the quintessential foreign-language film submission was a sweeping epic or something to do with WWII.
No longer.
More challenging and topical pictures have been entered and ultimately rewarded.
Think of last year’s Chilean winner, “A Fantastic Woman,” centered on a transgender character.Among this year’s submissions from 87 countries are at least a baker’s dozen that address the current zeitgeist.
There are films about refugees and immigrants, sexuality and gender, single fatherhood, the plight of the urban poor, protecting the environment, anti-Semitism, female sex workers, sexual harassment and civilians caught in current wars.As the rights of transgender individuals become a politically fraught issue in the U.S., Belgium’s “Girl,” directed by Lukas Dhont, offers a sympathetic,naturalistically drawn portrait of a still-transitioning 15-year-old who is working toward her dream of becoming a professional ballerina.“ ‘Girl’ began [with] the need to say something about how we perceive gender,
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