‘Nomadland’: Chloe Zhao becomes second woman to bag Oscar for ‘Best Direction’

Washington [US]: Chloe Zhao took home the Oscar for best direction for ‘Nomadland’, becoming the first person of colour to bag this award.

She is only the second woman in the history of the Academy Awards to win this particular laurel.

After winning the award, Zhao said, “This is for anyone who has the faith and the courage to hold on to the goodness in themselves and to hold on to the goodness in each other.”

‘Nomadland’ is Zhao’s third feature film, following 2015’s ‘Songs My Brothers Taught Me’ and 2017’s much-lauded ‘The Rider’. Her next film project is Marvel’s highly anticipated ‘Eternals’, which is currently scheduled for a fall release after being delayed because of COVID-19.

“I have always found goodness in the people I met everywhere I went in the world. So this is for anyone who has the faith and the courage to hold onto the goodness and themselves, and…in each other.”

Watch Chloé Zhao’s Best Director acceptance speech: https://t.co/sdgeoBK7lX pic.twitter.com/Q7oQYJgjh5

— ABC News (@ABC) April 26, 2021

Earlier, Zhao had won a Golden Globe for best director for ‘Nomadland’, making her the second woman ever to win for helming, and the first woman of colour to win in the category.

‘Nomadland’ is a 2020 American drama film directed, written, and edited by Zhao. It stars Frances McDormand as a woman who leaves home to travel around the American West.

The film is based on the 2017 non-fiction book ‘Nomadland: Surviving America’ in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder.

Also in the ceremony, ‘Sound of Metal’ won an Oscar in the ‘Best Sound’ category.

British actor Daniel Kaluuya took home the Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, for his performance in the ‘Judas and Black Messiah’.

Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller took home an Oscar in the category of Adapted Screenplay for their work in the Anthony Hopkins-starrer ‘The Father’. Emerald Fennell also won an Oscar for Original Screenplay for the comedy thriller film ‘Promising Young Woman’.

Denmark’s ‘Another Round’ won an Oscar for ‘Best International Feature Film’

The 93rd Academy Awards are being held at both the Dolby Theatre and Union Station. The ceremony is taking place two months later than originally planned, due to the impact left by the COVID-19 pandemic on the entertainment industry.

The nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards were announced on March 15 this year. This is only the fourth time in history that the Academy Awards were postponed.

‘Mank’ leads the nominations this year after being nominated for 10 accolades while ‘The Father’, ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’, ‘Minari’, ‘Nomadland’, ‘Sound of Metal’ and ‘The Trial of Chicago 7’ have been nominated in six categories.