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Doctor Dies of Virus He Tried to Warn World About; Academy Awards. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired February 07, 2020 - 01:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[01:00:00]

JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: A day after his impeachment acquittal came an hour-long rambling stream of consciousness. And Hollywood rolls out the red carpet for its biggest night of navel- gazing and sell congratulations. Plenty of drama expected that this year's Academy Awards.

The Chinese doctor who was among the first to sound an alarm about the Wuhan virus died on Friday from that disease. Li Wenliang died at the same hospital were back in December, he recorded several patients with a new coronavirus similar to SARS. But after he posted his findings on social media, Chinese authorities accused Li of spreading rumors and warned him not to speak out.

Less than a week after being diagnosed with the virus, Li died. His death adds with ever-increasing number of victims. At least 638, all but two from mainland China. Chinese health officials now say more than 31,000 people are infected, an increase of more than 3,000 from a day before. And that's despite about 60 million people in China under lockdown that's now heading into its third week.

Beyond Mainland China, there are now more than 300 cases worldwide, including at least 61 people on board a quarantine cruise ship just off Yokohama, Japan. Let's get the very latest now. Steven Jiang is standing by in Beijing. We have Matt Rivers in Yokohama, Japan.

We want to start with Steven Jiang because Steven, this death of Dr. Li, this whistleblower if you like, it's actually getting a lot of play on social media, which seemed a little unusual when you consider the -- you know, initial reaction by the authorities was to close him down. And now they're allowing people essentially to blow steam, to talk about this, to call him a hero, to say he deserves an apology. What's going on here?

STEVEN JIANG, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: Well, John, the story has literally lit up all social media platforms here in China for hours. But before get to that, there was a late-breaking development. The country's top anti-corruption agency, the National Supervisory Commission has just said they will be sending a team to Wuhan to investigate issues raised by the masses in their words related to the death of Dr. Li.

Now, this vague, one-line statement didn't say what kind of issues they will be investigating. But this is obviously the government's attempt to respond to the -- to the raw emotions unleashed by millions across this country since the death of Doctor Li. Now, remember, this outpouring of grief and anger started Thursday night when news first emerged about the death. But of course, then we had a few hours of confusion.

And many people suspected that the authorities did not announce his death until Friday, early Friday morning, in attempt to lessen the impact. But if that was their intention, they have failed miserably. As I was saying, social media platforms across the country, this is the only topic people seem to be caring -- people seem to care about.

I was looking at my own social media feeds, talking to people across the nation. You know, you have government officials, and also police officers, social -- state media workers, as well as dissident activists really united in this one rare occasion posting the same image of this young doctor, and sending their condolences and asking really hard questions of why did this happen, and who was to blame.

And as you said, this doctor when he first sounded alarm about his virus, he was only warning his college friends, as he told my colleagues last week. But by doing such as simple act, he was questioned by the police, threatened, and forced to sign a confession, basically. And then, of course, he passed away two weeks after he was admitted into a hospital.

So, this was such a soul-searching moment for this nation. And people are now of course also demanding not only government accountability, but also freedom of speech, as you were saying sensors have been working overtime to fanatically delete all posts about this doctor.

And John, just to tell you one surreal moment. I just watched the main news -- the new cast on the main channel, CCTV. 30 minutes they didn't mention Dr. Li's name a single time. Instead, they had 30 minutes of self-congratulations of how well they have been doing fighting this virus and the praise they have been getting from the rest of the world. John?

VAUSE: Sounds familiar. Steven, thank you. Matt, to you in Yokohama with the situation onboard this quarantine cruise ship. We're hearing from some passengers about conditions on board, that they're only let outside the cabins for fresh air for an hour and a half at a time to get some daylight, that kind of thing. Others say they're running short on medication. What do we know about the conditions onboard the cruise ship there, and how much longer are these people expected to be quarantined?

MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's a really tough situation, John, for the people that are onboard the ship behind me here. And we know they're going to be in that situation for at least two weeks according to the Japanese government. They say they are doing that out of an abundance of caution saying that they can't let the people on board that ship, some 3,700 including 1,000 staff members because they don't want them coming onboard or onshore.

And when you -- when you think about the number of cases that have increased, it's hard to blame the Japanese government at least at this point. It was just yesterday, it was 20 confirmed cases of the coronavirus on board. Well, today that not increased to 61, an increase of 41 patients including eight Americans, we're told, and a number of other nationalities including Argentinian people, Japanese people, a number of different cases.

[01:05:26]

And so you can expect that number to continue to go up. And you know, and that's what these cruise ships are in such difficult situations. There's a ship just like this one that's been quarantined off of Hong Kong. These are people that have been in close contact with each other for a long time now, and that's how these viruses spread.

And we've been in contact for a few days now with an American couple who are on board that ship right now who were on their honeymoon which definitely turned in to a nightmare. And earlier today, they messaged us saying they're not doing so great mentally but they feel good health-wise, but they're afraid that's not going to last.

"We just want to get the hell out of here. We're deathly afraid we're going to catch this virus being trapped on this ship." And I can only imagine what is going through the minds of these people who got on that ship hoping for a nice vacation. And now they're essentially in a floating prison.

VAUSE: Wow. OK, yes, a floating prison indeed. The holiday from hell is another interpretation. Matt, we appreciate your report, and also, Stephen, we appreciate the update from you there in Beijing as well. Thanks to you both. Within days of being told he faced certain impeachment for Watergate, Richard Nixon resigned the presidency, in his words, for the good of the country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD NIXON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I regret deeply any injuries may have been done in the course of the events that led to this decision.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: After his impeachment acquittal, a solemn and contrite Bill Clinton apologized to the nation for the Lewinsky affair.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want to say again to the American people how profoundly sorry I am for what I said and did to trigger these events.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: And then there's Donald Trump acquitted after the impeachment trial, which for the first time in U.S. history, called no witnesses and saw no new evidence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We first went through Russia, Russia, Russia. It was all bullshit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The President unloaded what seemed to be three years of pent up anger and rage, bitterness, and Fox News talking points, a rambling monologue lasting an hour and two minutes. By contrast, Bill Clinton's apology, one minute 36 seconds. We get worn out from White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRUMP: This is what the end result is.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: One day after he was acquitted, President Trump touted the headlines and expressed no remorse as he claimed vindication.

TRUMP: I never thought a word would sound so good. It's called total acquittal.

COLLINS: From the East Room of the White House, the President lashed out at the Democrats he says tried to bring him down.

TRUMP: Adam Schiff is a vicious, horrible person. Nancy Pelosi is a horrible person.

COLLINS: Trump repeated a jab he made it the House Speaker Pelosi during the National Prayer Breakfast, accusing her of being dishonest when she says she prays for him.

TRUMP: I pray for the President. I pray for the president.

COLLINS: Pelosi who was four seats away from Trump at the breakfast later hit back.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): I don't know if the President understands about prayer or people who do pray. But we do pray for the United States of America, pray for him.

COLLINS: basking in his victory while surrounded by Republican allies, Trump also denounced the one member of his party who voted to convict him on the abuse of power charge.

TRUMP: And then you have some that use religion as a crutch. They never used it before. Say hello to the people of Utah and tell him I'm sorry about Mitt Romney.

COLLINS: Some Republican senators have claimed Trump learned his lesson after being impeached. But today, he insisted he did nothing wrong.

TRUMP: And some has said, I wish you didn't make the call. That's OK. If they need that. It's incorrect. It's totally incorrect. COLLINS: During the at times rambling remarks, Trump appear to undermine aides who claimed earlier in the day he would express honesty and humility.

TRUMP: We first went through Russia, Russia, Russia. It was all bullshit.

COLLINS: Instead, he lashed out at the investigations against him, which he dismissed as efforts to take him down.

TRUMP: It was corrupt, it was dirty cops, it was leakers, and liars, and that should never ever happen to another president ever.

COLLINS: Now, the President's legal team who led his impeachment defense got a standing ovation in that room today. But even though the President spoke for over an hour, there was one attorney he didn't mention, his own Rudy Giuliani. Kaitlan Collins, CNN, the White House.

[01:10:02]

VAUSE: We're live to Los Angeles now with Michael Genovese, president of the Global Policy Institute at Loyola Marymount University. Good to see you.

MICHAEL GENOVESE, POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, John.

VAUSE: I was watching the president in the East Room of the White House, notably. What seemed such a contrast to the president who turned up at Congress to deliver the State of the Union, that president was on message. He stuck to the script. It was a script which was filled with misleading statements and outright lies.

But the address to Congress didn't unravel into this bizarre mix of self-pity, victimization, and conspiracy theories. What we saw Thursday, was that a lot closer to Trump's real state of the union compared to what we heard on Tuesday?

GENOVESE: In a State of the Union Address, he stuck to script. He rarely does that. And that was, I think, one of his great strengths. And that's why this speech was more well-received than what you saw today. Today, it was unvarnished, unhinged, unplugged Donald J. Trump. He missed a great opportunity to press the reset button to say, all right, we're moving on, we're going to govern the country, we're going to lead for America. Instead, it was an orgy of revenge and anger.

And it was (INAUDIBLE) who said that power corrupts, but Lincoln even more precedingly said, power reveals. And so the question is what did today's rant reveal about Donald Trump? Who is the real Donald Trump? Is it the one who reads the script or is it the one who rants as he did today?

VAUSE: And if you look at the stuff that he was saying, so much of it has just been debunked over time again, and again, and again. But it's this part of this narrative, which has now become sort of Trump law.

GENOVESE: Well, Donald Trump says what he wants to be true, says it convincingly. He's got an experienced -- you've got an experienced entertainer who's had years and years on television. He knows how to work a camera. He knows how to speak to an audience. And his view is what I believe to be true is true, alternative facts being what they are.

And you know, there are fact-checkers out there, but he's not talking to people who listen to fact-checkers. He's talking to his base. And in his base, this is red meat. It works. It's powerful. And it's going to get him to the polls, and that's his strategy for winning in 2020.

VAUSE: If there was one message from whatever that was in the East Room today on Thursday, it is this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I mean, it worked out. We went through hell unfairly, did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: I did nothing wrong. Two Republican senators voted not guilty and justify that by saying the president had learned a valuable lesson. Where are they left now?

GENOVESE: Egg on their face. And I think the hope -- and it was a hope that the President would come through this humbled and would learn a lesson and that he grew up. Who believed that -- who could believe that? There is no evidence to support that or to believe it. It was wishful thinking on their part. They were trying to find reason and excuse to support the president because they know that the base will go after them if and when they go against.

Look what -- look what the treatment of Mitt Romney right now. I mean, at the Prayer Breakfast, Donald Trump weaponized religion, used it against Mitt Romney, used it against Nancy Pelosi, when he said, oh, she doesn't really pray. I don't believe she prays. Well, I come from a same tradition, Catholic tradition as Nancy Pelosi. I was Catholic grade school, high school, college.

When you were raised in that tradition, you pray for the sinner. You may hate the sin but you love the sinner. And when Nancy Pelosi says, I pray for the president. It rings true. I pray for the President. I do it almost every day, because I pray and prayer is important to me. Donald Trump seems not to understand that. And so, he weaponizes religion, uses it against people in a way that is unbecoming. And to me, it's an attack upon my faith.

VAUSE: Yes, let me stop you there because this is exactly what he actually did say in that National Prayer Breakfast which happened before he went on this rambling speech in the East Room. Listen to this. This is Nancy Pelosi and Mitt Romney.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I don't like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong. Nor do I like people who say, I pray for you when they know that that's not so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: But after he said that, not immediately but very shortly after he said that, he warned that will be retribution for those behind the impeachment. Now, surely a religious man as Donald Trump says he is, whose favorite book is the Bible, he would know Romans chapter 12, verse 19. Do not take revenge my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: It is mine to avenge. I will repay, says Lord.

Let's be honest here. This is the President who has almost zero understanding of basic Christian teaching. It is beyond shameless what he said to Pelosi and Romney, and he seems to be totally and blissfully unaware of it.

[01:15:05]

GENOVESE: He may be unaware of it, but his constituency, the Evangelical Christians ought to see right through this. The fact that they don't is a function not of their belief that he is a good person, but his standard on abortion and on judges. They're willing to sell their position very cheaply to Donald J. Trump, and say, whatever you are, whatever you say, whoever you may be, we don't care. What we want you to do is give us A, B, and C. And that's what he's done.

He's given them something very important to that constituency, that base, but it's a base that many people now say is too political, a little bit hypocritical, and they wonder if that Christianity that they are supposed to believe in applies to people who as Nancy Pelosi and Mitt Romney don't agree with the president.

VAUSE: We should note, there has been a lot of anger from religious leaders, from traditional churches, but nothing from you know, the evangelical supporters of Donald Trump. And as always, Michael, a good way to end of the week. Thank you for being with us.

GENOVESE: Thank you, John.

VAUSE: And the winner of the Iowa Democratic caucuses is we just don't know. All precincts have reported in and the former South Bend, Indiana mayor, Pete Buttigieg is locked in a virtual tie with Senator Bernie Sanders. He leads in the overall vote count, but the real battle, the real action is the state delegates.

And now the Democratic National Committee Chair is calling for a recanvas of all results. Tom Perez tweeted, "Enough is enough." He wants all the numbers released by the state to be checked against results recorded at the caucus sites, and that could take forever.

Well, still to come, the Trump Administration's Middle East plan for peace may be backfiring as violence ramps up between Israelis and Palestinians. We'll look at what's fueling the anger. That's in a moment. Also, Indian police make an arrest in a shocking crime against a five-year-old girl allegedly happened on the grounds of the U.S. Embassy. A live report from New Delhi. That's next. [01:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Israeli police says suspect has been arrested after a car rammed into group of Israeli soldiers Thursday morning in Jerusalem. 12 soldiers were wounded. It's a sign that tensions between the Israelis and the Palestinians are again on the rise. This latest attack came less than 24 hours after three Palestinians were killed in the West Bank during days of protests against U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan. CNN's Oren Liebermann looks at why the timing of all this is so significant.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: It's easy to look at these attacks in the sudden uptick in violence and see that they come in the wake of the Trump administration's peace plan and the link the two. And that may be the reason behind some of what we're seeing in the sudden violence in the last 24 hours, but there's more to it than that.

There are some attacks here that may well be related to the anger and the frustration over the peace plan. Palestinian factions, chief among them Hamas has called for more attacks on Israelis and awake of the plan as a way of expressing an outright rejection and anger over it. Early Thursday morning police a Palestinian driver carry out a ramming attack against Israeli soldiers in Jerusalem, wounding 12, one of them seriously. The suspect was arrested Thursday evening in the West Bank.

Similarly, Shooting attacks in the Old City of Jerusalem and in the Central West Bank may also have anger over the plan at their root. And that goes for rocket and mortar fire from Gaza as well. But what happened in Jenin in the northern West Bank is a different story. That starts early Thursday morning when Israeli soldiers go into Jenin to demolish the home of a Palestinian convicted of murdering a rabbi some two years ago.

In the clashes that broke out following the demolition, one Palestinian was shot and killed. Israel says he had shot with a sniper rifle at Israeli soldiers who responded. A second Palestinian was also shot and killed in Jenin, a member of Palestinian police. A video posted by Fatah which controls the Palestinian Authority shows the officer standing at his place of work, not taking part in any clashes or protests when he's shot and killed. Israeli military says it's investigating the incident.

Where does this go from here? And does it get worse? It's certainly tense and there's a tremendous amount of strain on Israeli Palestinian security coordination, which is crucial to both sides. Where does this go from here then? Well, it could spy are out of control quickly. And one of the big questions here is can both sides put a lid on it as quickly as possible to stabilize the situation and do they want to. Oren Liebermann, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE) VAUSE: To India now, and police have arrested the suspect of the rape of a five-year-old girl. She was attacked on the grounds of the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi. Vedika Sud joins us now from the Indian capital with the very latest. So as awful as this attack is, it seems it makes it much worse by where it took place.

VEDIKA SUD, CNN PRODUCER: Absolutely. Now, remember the American Embassy as in any other country is a highly secure area. But this rape happened inside the quarters where the support staff stays. This is a five-year-old girl we're talking about. The American Embassy has issued a statement. They've come forward, they've condemned the incident. They said we took prompt action as soon as we got to know about this case.

They've had the parents file a complaint on the second of February. This incident took place on the first of February, after which they are help with providing medical aid to the girl. She lived as a part of the support staff which is in the quarters on the embassy grounds. What we also know at this point in time is that as far as cases of minors is concerned, this girl being younger than 12 years, the man who has been arrested could face 20 years in prison, life imprisonment, and in some cases, death is also awarded. So we'll have to wait and watch what happens with the accused.

But what we also do know as far as the investigations are concerned, they have to be completed within two months and the trial within six months.

VAUSE: Vedika, thank you for the update. It's well, another story of rape out of India which is also truly disturbing. Thank you. Well, the doctor who tried to sound the alarm about the coronavirus is now among the latest to die from it. The outcry over his death, that's next.

[01:25:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause with the headlines this hour. Donald Trump taking a victory lap over his impeachment acquittal lashing out on critics and political opponents on Thursday as evil and scum, insisting he did nothing wrong. He mocked the religious faith of Republican Senator Mitt Romney as well as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The death toll from the Wuhan coronavirus has now risen to 638 with more than 31,000 people infected. And the Chinese doctor, one of many -- one of the few, actually, who tried to warn of viruses is among the latest to die. When Li Wenliang first reported the new disease back in December, authorities accused him of spreading rumors and warned him not to speak about it.

Officials in China say there will be an investigation into Dr. Li's death, and the issues raised online by the masses, that's their word. For more now on the final days of Dr. Li, here's CNN's David Culver.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DAVID CULVER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In a matter of days, Dr. Li Wenliang went from treating patients to becoming one. The 34- year-old ophthalmologist diagnose Saturday with the Wuhan coronavirus, dying less than a week later in the same hospital in which he worked. But if action had been taken when he and others started sounding alarms, the severity of the outbreak might have been understood sooner.

Struggling to communicate, Li spoke with CNN briefly by phone on January 31st. You could hear the hospital machines pulsing in the background.

[01:29:44]

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was back in late December when Li first warned friends on WeChat about a SARS-like disease going around. Li sent a group message saying that test results from a patient quarantined at the hospital where he worked showed a patient had a coronavirus.

But hours after hitting "send", Wuhan City health officials tracked Li down, questioning where he got the information.

Within days, they closed the suspected source of the virus -- this seafood market. And they announced the outbreak. But instead of being praised, Li got a call from Wuhan City police.

With Li coughing too much and breathing too poorly to speak by phone, we asked Li by text, "How did you feel when this happened?"

"I felt a little afraid. Afraid I would be detained. Afraid my family would worry." Li responded.

He agreed to sign this document, admitting to spreading rumors online, and severely disrupting social order. It reads, "We want you to cooperate with the police and listen to our reminder and stop the illegal act. Can you do that?" Li answered, "Yes, I can."

In the weeks that followed, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission maintained that there was no evidence for human to human transmission, no infection of health care workers, and that the outbreak was, in their words, preventable and controllable. And with that, the people of Wuhan continued about their normal lives.

Then came a sudden jump in infections. China's central government took over, scrambling to contain a spreading virus with a rising death toll.

Chinese state media first reported that Li was one of several whistleblowers silenced by police. Calls for Li and the others to be vindicated blew online. China's Supreme Court even weighed in, adding quote, "It might have been a fortunate thing if the public had listen to this rumor at the time."

But for many, including Li and his parents, it was too late. They all contracted the coronavirus. Li's condition declined rapidly. But before his death Friday, he witnessed the support of thousands online who considered him a hero.

Late Thursday night, Chinese state media first reported Li's death.

The responses online reflected a profound grief and a deep anger. The two topics trending on Chinese social media were Wuhan government owes Dr. Li Wenliang an apology. And we want freedom of speech. Both had tens and thousands of views before being censored.

Soon after, state media changed its reporting, citing Wuhan Central Hospital which reported Li was still alive but in critical condition. And a few hours later in the middle of the night, hospital authorities officially announced Li's death. He was 34.

David Culver, CNN -- Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: For more now, journalist Yuen-Ying Chan joins me now from Hong Kong. She is also an honorary professor at the University of Hong Kong.

So thank you for being with us.

You know, censorship in China can be nuanced and sophisticated. The government knows and this means sometimes the people would vent, express their frustration to blow off steam. Is that at play here especially since the story Dr. Li's death was also reported by "The Global Times", which is, you know, considered very pro Beijing.

YUEN-YING CHAN, VETERNAN JOURNALIST: No, I don't think the government can censor all the outpour of outrage on the Internet. It was like state syndrome (ph) online last night. People were making comments and expressing their grief.

Now, note that the Internet is huge in China. You have like almost 900 million people online and almost 100 percent on mobile and they're also on WeChat, the (INAUDIBLE) social media. And it is the outrage that is so outpouring.

(CROSSTALKING)

VAUSE: So just to jump in. What you are saying is that everything we hear about China's censorship and the government control over what people say and do online, you are saying they cannot control this particular incident?

CHAN: No. Not just this one. Yes, the control is very intense, expensive and especially under Beijing, the (INAUDIBLE) of power. But look, the Internet and technology is a huge, disruptive force.

And when people are looking for outlets to express themselves and even with the control, even before the death last night you had reporters, you know, citizen journalists just everyday people trying to tell what is happening online.

So there is censorship but there is a big pushback from the public. VAUSE: I'm just curious, have you ever -- we have this situation too

with a lot of angry people expressing frustration about the death of this doctor. You all said (ph) an unprecedented lockdown of almost 60 million people heading into its third week.

[01:34:57]

VAUSE: You have 30 people gathered in the one place for an incredibly long time. At best they're skeptical of the information they're getting from government officials. That would simply be more than an ingredient to some kind of, you know, unrest if you like.

CHAN: About the lockdown, I think people also understand the need to stop the transmission of the virus. And so it is a very complicated picture. People are not entirely opposed to it as the people supported it.

And want government to do better -- like liberty of services, like, like giving medical care. There is a lot of issues.

So already, there has been a lot of complaints and grievances online even before last night. And so it is like back and forth struggle between (INAUDIBLE) people out and some people attempt to stop them.

Also the government is not a singular and controlling force. You have the central government, you have the local government and the Internet is a great liberating force.

VAUSE: Yuen-Ying Chan -- we are out of time so we shall leave it there but thank you so much for being with us.

CHAN: Thank you.

VAUSE: Feeling a little tingly, maybe a little excited? The country abuzz with anticipation. Maybe it is all because it is that time of year when Hollywood congratulates itself.

A look at some of the contenders hoping to take home a coveted golden statue -- when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Ah yes. Counting down the days now until Hollywood's biggest night, the Oscars. And the big fight is on for Best Picture.

The World War One drama, "1917" was the darling at the BAFTAs and the Golden Globes but now facing some stiff competition, especially from the South Korean film, "Parasite". If it does win this comedy horror movie or -- as they say in trade, horemedy (ph) -- it would be the first foreign language film to crack the Best Picture category.

And "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" is also seen as a chance for director Quentin Tarantino's first win for Best Picture.

For the inside writing on the winters and the losers, the movers and the groovers, and the shakers and the quakers, Sandro Monetti -- the editor in chief of the "Hollywood International Filmmaker" magazine.

How do you like that? Live forms Los Angeles.

SANDRO MONETTI, EDITOR IN CHIEF, "HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER" MAGAZINE: What an intro. By the way, it's Oscar time --

VAUSE: Hurray.

MONETTI: -- the Super Bowl of showbiz, the cup final of film. I love it. I have got Oscar fever.

VAUSE: Ok. We don't have a lot of time. So let's get into it.

Let's be honest, ok. Moment of honesty, a foreign language film has never won Best Picture -- from "Roma" and "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" or "Crouching Dragon, Hidden Tiger". This seems a steep climb for "Parasite" to get there.

And almost -- everyone who've watched, I guess, "The Irishman" which is the other contender perhaps from beginning to end they're asleep, they haven't voted as yet. So that now leaves what -- "1917"?

[01:39:58]

MONETTI: "1917" is the clear favorite. It is interesting. The Oscar's Best Picture race is very much like a horse race. You know, there is an early front runner, the pace setter. That was "The Irishman", the 14 hour-long gangster film. And then "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" leapt to the front. And then it's been 1917 for the last few weeks.

But now, coming up on the rails, the Korean contender, "Parasite". Could it do what Roma so narrowly failed to do last year and get it? I suspect it might just fall short. But if "1917" is going to lose to anything, it is "Parasite" coming up fast on the rails.

VAUSE: Let me say -- horemedy is not a word, I made that up. You know, comedy, horror.

MONETTI: I love it. I'm going to use it forever.

VAUSE: Horror, comedy -- horemedy.

Ok. The brutally honest Oscar ballot from the "Hollywood Reporter". They interview a select academy members, and because it's anonymous they actually speak freely and honestly and have some unique insights.

"Little Women", they say badly acted and confusing.

"Jojoy Rabbit", cute but can't laugh at Hitler, which seems fair.

"The Irishman", no one wants to admit but it just wasn't that good.

"Parasite", didn't hold up the second time. That was interesting.

"1917", very good but pretty straight-on story.

They go on and on.

MONETTI: I agree with a lot of these reviews.

VAUSE: For some reason, Hollywood isn't a huge fan of brutal honesty.

MONETTI: I mean exactly. That is what I'm hearing from a lot of the voters and around all the Hollywood parties as well. It is like there is no ideal film here. But, you know, "1917" seems like the best of a bad bunch.

But, you know, my personal favorite would be "Jojo Rabbit" and, you know, I think Mel Brooks showed us you could laugh about Hitler and Taika Waititi, for me is the ne Mel Brooks and yes, for me that was a great job.

But Hollywood is all about opinions, isn't it? And when that envelope is opened, we will see from the 8,000-strong Oscar voters.

You know, it's funny. You can't get anyone to agree on anything but, you know -- but I think "1917" has the edge.

VAUSE: Ok. And also it proves that Hollywood loves a sequel. Last year there was no host. There will be no host this year because it kind bumped in the ratings.

So I guess with so many hosts there, you won't be able to blame one of them if it all bombs. And this will be the 92nd time they have done this. So can they get the timing right this year for once? Can they end on time?

MONETTI: Utterly impossible. But yes, you make a good point about the lack of a host. The ratings were actually up 12 percent compared with 2018, which was the all-time low in ratings.

I would like a host, but I think there is a real opportunity here. The Oscars are pretty predictable. But, you know, there is always that boring stuff where there is the awkward, you know, man and a woman come out to present the prizes.

You know, let's get Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt presenting together. Let's get Meghan and Harry presenting together. Let's get Bernie Sanders and Mike Bloomberg.

I am serious. The Oscars are predictable, so let's make the presenters unpredictable. And I'm available to produce next year if you're listening -- Academy.

VAUSE: Meghan and Kate and William and Harry altogether -- anyway, that would be fun.

Have fun on the weekend. This is a big weekend for you. This is like Christmas, so enjoy.

MONETTI: It certainly is. I would like to thank the Academy. It's the closest I will get -- John, a plastic Oscar for $7.

VAUSE: Oh, yes. I've seen the movie, "Airport". Joaquin Phoenix -- Best Actor, just guessing.

MONETTI: Absolutely and well-deserved.

VAUSE: Thanks.

Ok.

Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause.

"WORLD SPORT" starts after the break.

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