The 69th annual Golden Globe Awards took place Jan. 15, 2012. Taking home the win in the Best Foreign Language Film category was the Iran’s “A Separation” directed by Asghar Farhadi.

The drama “A Separation” looks at the difficult choice a couple has to make: move to another country for the sake of their child or stay for to care for an elderly father who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease.

The Foreign Language Film category was one of this year’s strongest categories for the 2012 Golden Globes, “A Separation” was a bit of a surprise in the category, as “In the Land of Blood and Honey” was considered a favorite because of director Angelina Jolie’s star presence.

See a slideshow of 2012 Golden Globe nominees for Best Foreign Language Film.

Other films nominated for the 2012 Golden Globe award for Best Foreign Language Film included:

U.S.A.’s “In the Land of Blood and Honey,” directed by Jolie, is a war story set in Sarajevo before and during the Bosnian War. It focuses on the relationship between Danijel, a soldier for the Bosnian Serbs, and Ajla, a Bosniac woman.

China’s “The Flowers of War,” directed by Yiimou Zhang, set in 1937. The film depicts a Westerner trying to lead a group of women to safety during Japan’s Nanking Massacre.

Belgium’s “The Kid With a Bike,” directed by Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne. The drama depicts a young boy who sets out to find the father who abandoned him, with the help of the town hairdresser.

Spain’s “The Skin I Live In,” the thriller directed by Pedro Almodóvar” relates a tale of obsession of a surgeon who works to develop a synthetic skin that can withstand damage – an experiment being conducted on captive woman.

Golden Globe winners enjoy an increased visibility in local movie theatres, if still relatively new, or tend to be available through DVD rentals such as Redbox, located at select Giant Eagle and Get Go! locations.

Pittsburgh movie-goers should look for mainstream films still in release at AMC Loews Waterfront 22, SouthSide Works Cinema and Waterworks Cinema 10. Look for locations and movie tickets available for online purchase at Fandango. Independent films will screen at Squirrel Hill’s Manor Theatre.

As published in Examiner