The Academy's documentary branch may have taken some flak, as they do every year, for leaving some high-profile films off their shortlist, but they also made some commendably adventurous calls – none more so than this unconventional blend of video diary and political protest from persecuted Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi, which tests the very boundaries of the form. Smuggled out of the country that has banned Panahi from making films for 20 years, it's a unique contender with a remarkable story attached to it; that novelty and cultural currency could make a compelling case to many voters, while others could well take the title at face value.

- Guy Lodge