Chloé Zhao is the director of the drama film, Nomadland. The film had six nominations at the 93rd Academy Awards and snagged three statuettes. The project received Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress for Frances McDormand's performance. Zhao became the second woman in Oscar history to win Best Director and marked the first woman of color to receive the accolade.
In her acceptance speech, she talks about how she keeps going when things get hard. Zhao reflects back on a childhood memory with her father, recalling a game they played memorizing classic Chinese poems. According to Vanity Fair, "they recited them to each other and try to finish each other’s sentences. One of her favorites when translated into English meant, 'People at birth are inherently good.'" And that's what we all need right now, is to believe in the goodness of people.
"This is for anyone who had the faith and courage to hold on to the goodness in themselves, and to hold on to the goodness in each other...”
CHLOÉ ZHAO, OSCAR ACCEPTANCE SPEECH
Nomadland is based on the nonfiction book by Jessica Bruder, Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century. It stars Frances McDormand as Fern, a nomadic woman living out of her van, working a series of odd jobs out on the road. The film received praise and other awards before the Oscar wins. It also won Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Director at the 78th Golden Globe Awards, four more awards at the 74th British Academy Film Awards, and another four awards at the 36th Independent Spirit Awards. Catch the film now streaming on Hulu.
Cover Photo Courtesy of Vanity Fair Twitter, Taken by @QUILLEMONS
