Miramax co-chairman Harvey Weinsten was in Berlin for the opening of Cold Mountain at the Berlinale February 5. Recipient of seven Oscar nominations, Weinstein came with Anthony Minghella and actors Brendan Gleeson and Philip Seymour Hoffmann - but without Jude Law and Renee Zellwegger who were shooting in London, and Nicole Kidman in Australia attending to family business. The Miramax executive discussed with the press why Cold Mountain had not gotten key Oscar nods for best film and director. For starters, Weinstein explained that the film had received negative press from American journalists because part of it was shot in Romania and not in the US. $20 million USD were spent in the US for the making of the film.

"I'm proud of 'Cold Mountain' being a European film. The movie has done $80 million at the U.S. box office so far and is on its way to $100 million. But I think it (being shot in Romania) did hurt us with the Academy (voters)."

Director Anthony Minghella concurred, recipient of a best director Oscar for The English Patient and three time BAFTA David Lean award winner for The Talented Mr Ripley, The English Patient and Cold Mountain.

"There has been a reaction in America and a real campaign to stop movies leaving America to shoot."

Weinstein also criticized how few European films are shown in the US:
"We believe in European quotas because European movies are discriminated against in America," Weinstein said. "The major networks in America have not shown one single European movie in 25 years."

Moira Sullivan