The Chinese-American director receives no support from the Chinese media after her victory

A victory without celebration: Chloé Zhao wins Oscar for best director, her home country remains silent

photo_camera AP/CHRIS PIZZELLO - Director and producer Chloe Zhao, winner of the Best Picture award for "Nomadland," poses in the Oscars press room Sunday, April 25, 2021, at Union Station in Los Angeles

In an unusual year, the 93rd Academy Awards took place almost two months later than usual. However, the ceremony was held in person, split between the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. A different situation in a different year, split masks and red carpets and no after-parties.

Many of the nominated films were released during the pandemic, meaning that many cinemas were closed. Many historic milestones took place on this gala night, notably the award of Chloé Zhao, who won the prize for "best director" with "Nomadland". She became the first Asian and racialised woman to win it, as well as the second woman to do so, after Kathryn Bigelow with "The Hurt Locker". 

Atalayar_Oscar china pelicula

Zhao's 2020 film "Nomadland", which tells the story of nomads living in vans in the United States, also won the award for best film. Based on the book "Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century" by Jessica Bruder, it tells the story of a woman who leaves her hometown to embark on a journey across the American West.

The Chinese-American film director has won great acclaim with this work, "Nomadland". But her home country has not celebrated her high profile, censoring both the film and the awards gala.

The producer and screenwriter was born in Beijing, China, in 1983, spent her teenage years in Brighton, UK, and made her film debut with "Songs My Brothers Taught Me" after studying at New York University.

Atalayar_Oscar china pelicula

Normally, the winner's hometown and home country celebrate the prestigious Oscars award, but in this case we find silence from China. Users report that mentions of Zhao and her award are being deleted, calling Zhao a "traitor". Upon winning a Golden Globe earlier this year, she was singled out as a traitor by China because in a 2013 interview for Filmmaker Magazine in New York, she mentioned that China is a place "where there are lies everywhere".

As the Golden Globes award ceremony was held in China on 28 February, Chinese media and social media users supported Zhao and showed strong national pride. But after one day, everything changed as many internet sleuths brought back old interviews with the director. In them she was critical of her country, and Beijing's Internet censorship began. Advertising for Nomadland was blocked on social media and the film's release in Beijing was cancelled.

As if the ensuing silence was not enough, the Asian country prepared its dumbness shortly beforehand by cancelling the Academy Awards live broadcast. Normally the show is broadcast on state broadcaster CCTV, but for the first time in years it has been cancelled. 

Atalayar_Oscar china pelicul

As if the ensuing silence was not enough, the Asian country prepared its dumbness shortly beforehand by cancelling the Academy Awards live broadcast. Normally the show is broadcast on state broadcaster CCTV, but for the first time in years it has been cancelled.

Aside from concerns about act favourite "Nomadland", the reason appears to be "Do Not Split", a 35-minute short film made on the frontline of the 2019 Hong Kong democracy protests that has been nominated in the "best short documentary" category. Directed by Norwegian filmmaker Anders Hammer and focusing on protesters such as Joey Siu, a North Carolina-born, Hong Kong-raised activist, the film covers the siege of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and other key moments during the protests.

Atalayar_Oscar china pelicula

Zhao's victory has reignited unease towards her in her hometown, and searches on Weibo about her and "Nomadland" show few results related to her award. In addition, most of China's mainstream media have been curiously silent on the subject.

In the hours immediately following the ceremony, neither China's official mouthpiece "The People's Daily", the state-run news service "Xinhua" nor the populist tabloid "Global Times" had produced a single report on Zhao's multiple Academy Award wins.

The suppression of Zhao's Oscar moment has not been a total ban as Chinese social networking services Wechat and Weibo have seen a small wave of praise for the director. The video of her acceptance speech in which she alluded to a Chinese proverb that says "people at birth are inherently good", the line that helped her keep going when the going got tough, has spread significantly and has not been blocked.

Atalayar_Oscar china pelicula

Global Times also tweeted about her victory, but in English and to an international audience as Twitter is blocked in China. In addition, Chinese film industry professionals have especially expressed their astonishment and gratitude for his achievement.

The silence from the Asian country is surprising since in recent years, China's state-run press has sought every opportunity to celebrate Chinese success at the Academy Awards. When "Green Book" won Best Picture in 2019, the state-run Xinhua news service claimed victory for China. Noting that the film was co-financed by the film subsidiary of Chinese e-commerce giant 'Alibaba Group'.

In 2021, when China's most internationally successful filmmaker in a generation has produced a film that was adjudged 'best film', 'best director' and 'best actress', China's state-run press has, so far, had nothing to say.
 

More in Culture