(POP NEWS EDITION) — Chloe Zhao made Golden Globes history on Sunday night as the first woman of color and second woman ever to win Best Director.
Zhao is the first Asian woman to take home the honor, and second Asian director to win the prize in Golden Globes history, following director Ang Lee (“Brokeback Mountain” in 2006). Zhao won for her film, “Nomadland,” which also took home the biggest prize of the night – Best Motion Picture – Drama.
“I especially want to thank the nomads who shared their stories with us,” Zhao said during her speech. “I asked one of them, Bob Wells, to help me out here, and this is what he said about compassion. ‘Compassion is the breakdown of all the barriers between us. A heart-to-heart bonding. Your pain is my pain. It’s mingled and shared between us.’ This is why I fell in love with making movies and telling stories.”
The critically-acclaimed “Nomadland” follows Fern (Frances McDormand) as she travels the country in a van, making connections with wanderers from all walks of life. Zhao adapted the movie from Jessica Bruder’s nonfiction book.
Zhao’s win bridges a 37-year gap since the last time a female Best Director won at the Globes. Barbara Streisand was the first woman to take home the honor for “Yentl” in 1984. This year marks the most number of female directors nominated for Best Director at the Globes. Zhao’s fellow nominees included “One Night In Miami’s” Regina King, and “Promising Young Woman’s” Emerald Fennell.
As awards season continues, Chloé Zhao is expected to be a frontrunner at this year’s Oscars.
Like the Oscars, the Globes has sparked controversy for the lack of female Best Director nominees. Recent contenders like Greta Gerwig, Lulu Wang, Marielle Heller and more have been snubbed. The last female director to be nominated wasAva DuVernay for “Selma” in 2015.
