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Chloe Zhao Becomes First Asian Woman to Win Best Director at the Golden Globes for ‘Nomadland’

Bryan Ke

Bryan Ke

March 2, 2021

chloe zhao

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    Chinese director Chloe Zhao has made history as the first Asian woman and the second female director to win for Best Director at the Golden Globes for the drama “Nomadland” on Sunday.

    Her historic 78th Annual Golden Globes Awards win was celebrated globally, including in China, where many social media users praised the 38-year-old director for her work, according to BBC.

    “This is the first time a Chinese female director has ever won. Congratulations Director Zhao, looking forward to your next award,” a Weibo user said.

    Meanwhile, many people congratulated Zhao on Twitter, including Barbara Streisand, the first woman to win Best Director at the Globes in 1983.

    Another Twitter user said her win was an inspiration to many Asian women in the arts.

    “I cannot stress this enough, as an Asian woman in the arts, it is so inspiring to see Chloe Zhao make history tonight as the first woman of color to win for best director,” the user said.

    Here’s what other people are saying:

    “I just love what I do,” Zhao said of her win, South China Morning Post reported. “I just really love it, and if this means more people like me get to live their dream and get to do what I do, I’m happy.”

    “Nomadland” is Zhao’s third feature film after “Songs My Brothers Taught Me” (2015) and “The Rider” (2017).

    “’Nomadland’ at its core for me is a pilgrimage through grief and healing,” she said. “So for everyone who has gone through this difficult and beautiful journey at some point in their lives, this is for you.”

    Born and raised in China, Zhao attended a boarding school in London before moving to Los Angeles to finish high school, CNBC reported. She studied political science at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts and worked different jobs for a few years before deciding to move to New York to enroll at a film school.

    Besides “Nomadland,” the Asian community has a lot to celebrate with Lee Isaac Chung’s best foreign-language award win for “Minari” at the recent Golden Globes.

    Some are still calling out the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for putting “Minari” under the foreign-language category even though the film tells the story of a Korean American family in Arkansas.

    The HFPA rules state at least 50% of the film’s language must be in English for it to be placed under the two of the most competitive categories at the awards show.

    Feature Image via Getty

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