‘Playground’ Director Laura Wandel on Getting Oscar Shortlisted Despite Having ‘No Chance At a Real Campaign’

In a new series, Variety catches up with the directors of the films shortlisted for the International Feature Film Oscar to discuss their road to the awards, what they’ve learned so far, and what’s taken them off guard. Laura Wandel is the auteur behind “Playground” (“Un Monde”), her first feature, about the reality of schoolyard bullying. The film stars newcomer Maya Vanderbeque as seven-year-old Nora, who struggles to know what to do as she witnesses her older brother Abel (Günter Duret) bullied at school. The story is told through Nora’s eyes, including all the cinematography, which is captured at waist-height…. Read Full Article