Photo: Oscar-Nominated Demian Buchir of "A Better Life" Confident Obama Will See the Film
Mexico’s Demian Bichir told a press conference here he is confident the media stir caused by his best actor Oscar nomination for the immigration drama “A Better Life” will prompt U.S. President Barack Obama to see the film and make a renewed push for immigration reform.
“I hope that with this commotion, Obama ... will see the film and it will move him and make him put this issue a few rungs higher” on the agenda, Bichir said in Mexico City.
The 48-year-old actor learned early Tuesday that he will be vying for best actor honors at the Feb. 26 Oscar gala in Los Angeles.
His rivals for the award include Hollywood heavyweights George Clooney, for “The Descendants,” and Brad Pitt, nominated for “Moneyball.”
Despite his joy over the recognition, Bichir said the Oscar nomination itself matters less than the possibility that the nod will inspire more people to see the film.
The actor said that while Obama has not kept a promise to pass immigration reform in his first term, a Republican victory in the Nov. 6 presidential election would eliminate any chance of relief for the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.
