by Juan Carlos Ojano
In hindsight, concerns that "there are no movies" or cries to "cancel the Oscars" during the pandemic were premature and also insulting. We could lament all the films postponed or we could embrace the extraordinary films we got. 2020 was a rich year of diverse voices behind the movies. That happily translated to the awards conversation: BIPOC and female filmmakers have had an unprecedented presence in the run up to the Oscar nominations.
Looking back at Oscar history, only five women have been nominated for Best Director...
Lina Wertmüller (1976)
Jane Campion (1993)
Sofia Coppola (2003)
Kathryn Bigelow (2009)
Greta Gerwig (2017).
Only Bigelow managed to win.
This year, several female directors have been in play during award season, and some of them may well make Oscar history. Here are the five women who are closest to doing just that:
Chloé Zhao - Nomadland
Wins: Boston, New York, Boston Online, Los Angeles, Chicago, Indiana, Florida, Greater Western NY, North Carolina, AWFJ, Oklahoma, Columbus, NSFC, Music City, San Diego, North Dakota, St. Louis, Philadelphia, SF Bay, Denver, Houston, BFCC, Kansas, OFCS, North Texas, NY Online, Atlanta, Toronto
RU/Nom: Globes (TBA), Sunset, Chicago Indie, Spirit (TBA), Satellite (TBA), Hollywood (TBA)
Zhao has transformed from a formidable contender to the unequivocal frontrunner in this category for her work, winning a large majority of precursor awards. Zhao’s vision of a woman’s experience within the nomadic community is both intimate and expansive. Set in the aftermath of the economic recession of 2008, Zhao finds both the emotional wounds and the shared humanity of the nomads. We see two-time Oscar winner Frances McDormand give a naturalistic performance that never calls attention to itself. Meanwhile, her portrayal of Fern is located within an ensemble of real-life nomads whose relationship dynamics with her become the heart of the film. Whether by showing McDormand walking around an ancient forest or focusing squarely at Swankie’s face as she tells her own story, Zhao captures an experience that is both eye-opening and genuinely moving.
Regina King - One Night in Miami
Win: BFCC, Spirit (Robert Altman Award)
RU/Nom: Globes (TBA), Indiana, North Carolina, AWFJ, Houston, Hollywood (TBA)
This Oscar-winning actress and industry favorite makes her directorial debut with an adaptation of the stage play by Kemp Powers. The drama centers on a meeting between historical giants Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown as they reckon with their place in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. King escapes the usual misstep of stage adaptations (the desperation to ‘open it up’) and instead finds a pace that organically takes the story in several directions, from a confined motel room to a spacious rooftop. Expertly modulated performances are captured with clear-eyed lensing, showing several layers to the conversations the men are having. The result is a four-way dialogue that is closer to reflective than combative, and a movie that feels alive and vital.
Emerald Fennell - Promising Young Woman
Win: none
RU/Nom: Globes (TBA), Chicago, Indiana, Chicago Indie, North Carolina, AWFJ, Columbus, Music City, North Carolina, North Dakota, St. Louis, SF Bay, Houston, OFCS, North Texas, Atlanta, Hollywood (TBA)
This cast member of The Crown makes her first foray in feature filmmaking as the voice behind one of this year’s most talked about films. Following the story of Cassandra, a woman on a mission to teach men a lesson on consent, the film is a high-stakes takedown of rape culture with pitch black humor. In a way, it makes sense that Fennell handles the film’s tonal whiplash so well; her stint as the showrunner of Killing Eve’s second season already showed her skill in juggling these tones. In the film, she uses idiosyncratic tonal balances to dig deep into something dark and truthful. Cassie’s several confrontations in the film are incredibly tense yet underlined with a conscious tinge of humor to offset the tension. The climactic scene at the bachelor party is an expert combination of dark comedy, nerve-wracking thriller, and upsetting meditation on rape. The result are scenes that leave you offbalance, pulled off with extreme confidence and sensitivity.
Kelly Reichardt - First Cow
Win: none
RU/Nom: Boston, Chicago, Indiana, Florida, Greater Western NY, AWFJ, NSFC, San Diego, North Carolina, North Dakota, Philadelphia, SF Bay, OFCS, Spirit, Toronto
A true indie darling, Reichardt returns to the awards race for her tale of 1820s America where a couple of dreamers (John Magaro and Orion Lee) aim to make it by selling oily cakes, albeit by stealing milk from a landowner’s cow. Simply put, Reichardt’s vision of Americana is stunning. With deliberately calculated pacing, camera movements, blocking, and acting, this film is exquisitely mounted. It's demonstrative of a filmmaker who knows her craft and uses the cinematic language to highlight themes and nuances. Whether it be Magaro looking lovingly at the cow while crossing trees or the troubling quietness of him and Lee stealing milk, Reichardt is masterful. First Cow is the kind of film that we can see getting a lone Director nomination.
Eliza Hittman - Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Win: none
RU/Nom: Indiana, SF Bay, OFCS, Spirit, Hollywood (TBA)
Another indie favorite, Hittman tackles abortion in her third feature film about a young woman (Sidney Flanigan) who goes to New York with her cousin (Talia Ryder) to get access to the procedure without her parents knowing. Embracing the narrative’s small scale, Hittman brings us an incredibly intimate, sincere, non-judgmental, and ultimately, powerful film. We are made to feel as if we are spatially and emotionally close to the two leads as they go through a relentless journey. Their exhaustion, we feel. Their disposition, we understand. Nowhere is this all more true than in the titular sequence: with a non-moving camera, Flanigan is framed just a bit off-center as she is interrogated with the most invasive of questions. Hittman’s empathy for the character is on full display.
Others worth mentioning include but are not limited to:
Radha Blank - The Forty Year Old Version
Channing Godfrey Peoples - Miss Juneteenth
Heidi Ewing - I Carry You with Me
Josephine Decker - Shirley
Julia Hart - I'm Your Woman
Kitty Green - The Assistant
Robin Wright - Land
Shannon Murphy - Babyteeth
Autumn de Wilde - Emma.
Miranda July - Kajillionaire
Natalie Erika James - Relic
...and many more.
How many female directors are you predicting will be nominated in March?