LOS ANGELES – Greta Gerwig, director of the highly anticipated film “Barbie”, received a surprising snub in the Best Director category during the recent Oscar nominations. This comes after last year’s absence of any female filmmakers in the same category. However, Justine Triet, the director of “Anatomy of a Fall”, secured a nomination this year.
Joining Triet as Best Director nominees are Yorgos Lanthimos for “Poor Things”, Christopher Nolan for “Oppenheimer”, Jonathan Glazer for “The Zone of Interest”, and Martin Scorsese for “Killers of the Flower Moon”. Gerwig’s omission is quite surprising given that she received multiple nominations and wins from various prestigious awards and was considered a frontrunner by many industry experts.
Last year, no women were nominated for Best Director, despite the fact that several films helmed by female directors were in contention. This ongoing trend of underrepresentation is evident in the fact that the Academy has only nominated seven women in the Best Director category throughout its long history, with only three winners so far.
Kathryn Bigelow made history in 2009 when she became the first woman to win Best Director for “The Hurt Locker”. Chloe Zhao followed suit in 2020, winning for “Nomadland”, and Jane Campion won in 2021 for “The Power of the Dog”. This year, it is worth noting that both Zhao and Emerald Fennell received nominations, marking the first time more than one woman has been nominated in the category.
While women may often be overlooked in the directing category, their films still have a chance to be recognized in the Best Picture category. Last year, for example, “Women Talking” directed by Sarah Polley received a nomination for Best Picture. Throughout history, there have been instances where films directed by women were nominated for Best Picture, but the directors themselves were not acknowledged.
The Directors Guild of America also recently announced its nominations, including Gerwig, Lanthimos, Nolan, Scorsese, and Payne in their Best Director category. However, the First-Time Director category at the DGA Awards showcased a more diverse lineup, featuring people of color and four women.
In a groundbreaking achievement, three out of the ten films nominated for Best Picture this year were directed by women: “Anatomy of a Fall”, “Past Lives”, and “Barbie”. Gerwig has also made history as the first director to have their first three solo directorial films nominated for Best Picture, with “Lady Bird”, “Little Women”, and now “Barbie”.
As the industry continues to grapple with gender parity and recognition of female filmmakers, the nominations and snubs in the Best Director category shed light on the ongoing challenges faced by women in the film industry.