93rd Academy Awards: Nomadland gets big win

Chloe Zhao's "Nomadland," a wistful portrait of nomadic lives on open roads across the American West, won the best picture Sunday at the 93rd Academy Awards, where the China-born Zhao also displayed just the second woman to win the best director and the first lady of colour.

The "Nomadland" victory, while this was widely expected, nevertheless capped the extraordinary rise of Zhao, a lyrical filmmaker who is winning film is just her third, and which — with a budget is around $5 million (€4.1 million) and featuring a cast populated by non-professional actors — ranks as one of the modest-sized movies to win Hollywood's top honour. Zhao's next film, Marvel's "Eternals," has also made a statement about 40 times that of "Nomadland." Only Kathryn Bigelow, 11 years ago for "The Hurt Locker," had earlier won the best director.

But "Nomadland," as a direct reflection on solitude, grief and grit, struck a chord in a pandemic-ravaged year. It made for an incredible Oscar champ: A film about people approaching the banks took centre stage.

"I have always found honesty in the people I've met here I went in the world," said Zhao when he was accepting best director. "This is for anyone who has the faith as well as courage to hold on to the goodness in themselves and to hold on the goodness in other no matter how difficult it is to do that."

Frances McDormand (L) won for best actor in a leading role for "Nomadland," and Yuh-Jung Youn, winner of best actor in a helping role for "Minari" at the Oscars 2021.AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

With a howl, "Nomadland" star Frances McDormand urged people to seek out her film and others on the big screen. Published by the Disney-owned Searchlight Pictures, "Nomadland" premiered at a drive-in and debuted in theatres but found its largest audience on Hulu.

"Please watch our movie on the biggest screen potential and one day very, very soon, take everyone you know into a theatre, shoulder to shoulder in that dark space, and watch every film that's represented here tonight," McDormand said.