Ah, the Oscars never change. This year’s nominations list came out last night and female directors were snubbed once again.
Part of the Best Director noms are Spike Lee (BlacKkKlansman), Pawel Pawlikowski (Cold War), Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite), Alfonso Cuarón (Roma), and Adam McKay (Vice). According to Variety, five women made critically-acclaimed films and were qualified for the award. Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) wasn’t even given a chance while her film’s stars, Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant, and screenwriters were nominated.
Melissa Silverstein of Women and Hollywood told the outlet that it’s “political” and the Oscars favor “who’s in front of you, who’s the loudest.” It’s more difficult for smaller films like Debra Granik’s Leave No Trace and Lynne Ramsay’s You Were Never Really Here because “[they] just are not the big, showy, flashy films like most of the ones that get noticed and nominated in this industry.”
Throughout the Oscars’ 91-year history, only five women have been nominated for Best Director: Lina Wertmüller (Seven Beauties, 1975), Jane Campion (The Piano,1994), Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation, 2003), Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker, 2009), and Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird, 2017). Only Kathryn Bigelow bagged the award.
So much for constantly promising to diversify the awards show.
[Variety]
Photo courtesy of The Academy Awards’ Instagram account
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