Wholesome video captures 2 Taiwanese grandmas celebrating their Oscar nomination
By Ryan General
January 24, 2024
A video capturing the emotional reactions of two Taiwanese grandmothers to their Oscar nomination for the documentary short film “Nai Nai & Wai Po” (paternal grandma and maternal grandma) has warmed hearts online.
Wholesome reaction: In a video posted to Instagram, “Nai Nai & Wai Po” stars and grandmas Yi Yan Fuei, 96, and Zhang Li Hua, 85, are seen cheering with family members. The two clap, yell and give two thumbs up as the name of their movie is called for the Oscar nomination on Jan. 23.
Their grandson Sean Wang, who directed the film, is seen jumping for joy and exchanging hugs with everyone around.
Netizens show love: The post, which has received nearly 10,000 likes as of this writing, has been flooded with messages of love and support for the women and their film.
“I’ve watched this 100 times. Love you all so much. So so happy for you guys!” wrote a commenter.
“This is the definition of pure joy. So happy for you congrats!!” a user chimed in.
“Congratulations! I need this video on repeat,” commented another.
“Oh man, this moment is so pure – can’t help but smile,” wrote one.
Filmmaker says thanks: Wang, a first-generation Taiwanese American filmmaker, expressed his immense gratitude for the Oscar nomination in an emotional post, calling it an “incredible honor.”
He explained that he made the film to “humanize and honor” his grandmothers and to “help those like them who are often overlooked feel seen.” With the film’s nomination, Wang stated that their efforts have been recognized in a way that “goes beyond his wildest dreams.”
About the film: The documentary, which blends Mandarin and English dialogue, explores the daily routines of the two grandmas as they danced, argued, shared stories and offered their unique perspectives on life. The film won the Grand Jury Prize and audience award at SXSW and the Grand Jury Awards at AFI Fest and SIFF 2023. It was acquired by Disney in Nov. 2023 and will be available to stream on Disney+ this year.
The 16-minute film faces stiff competition in the best documentary short category from “The ABCs of Book Banning” (Sheila Nevins, Trish Adlesic and Nazenet Habtezghi), “The Barber of Little Rock” (John Hoffman and Christine Turner), “Island In Between” (S. Leo Chiang) and “The Last Repair Shop” (Kris Bowers and Ben Proudfoot).
The 96th Academy Awards will be held on March 10 and will air live on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET.
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