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LOS ANGELES: The 2020 Oscar nominations have been heavily criticised for its lack of diversity and affinity toward male directors. And Natalie Portman – the actor who famously used her presenting soapbox to take aim at the Hollywood Foreign Press at the 2018 Golden Globes – is having none of it.
“Here are the all-male nominees,” said Portman, smugly, two years ago as she announced the Best Director nominees.
Flash forward to last month when the Academy announced the Oscar nominees for the Best Director Category: Martin Scorsese (The Irishman), Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood), Bong Joon-ho (Parasite), Sam Medes (1917) and Todd Phillips, (Joker).
In response, Portman made one hell of a statement today as she arrived at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. She asked Dior to stitch the names of women who directed movies last year – and weren’t nominated for the 92nd Academy Awards – into her cape. Those women included: Lorene Scafaria (Hustlers), Lulu Wang (The Farewell), Greta Gerwig (Little Women), Marielle Heller (A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood), Melina Matsoukas (Queen & Slim) Alma Har’el (Honey Boy), Céline Sciamma (Portrait of a Lady on Fire) and Mati Diop (Atlantics).
In the history of the Oscars, only five women have been nominated for Best Director, and only one — Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker — has won.
“I wanted to recognise the women who were not recognised for their incredible work this year in a subtle way,” said a coy Portman to a reporter on the carpet. Take a look.
Cynthia Erivo, star of Harriet, is the only actor of colour to be nominated in the acting categories.
And this honestly all has to change.
By the way, Portman is presenting an award tonight with Timothee Chalamet. Standby.
