Meet Chloé Zhao
“I’m extremely fortunate to do what I love for a living and if this win helps more people like me get to live their dreams, I’m so grateful for this!”
~Chloé Zhao
Chloé Zhao, the second woman to win in the Best Director category of the Academy Awards, but the first woman of color to win, has dazzled and inspired with her 2021 masterpiece, Nomadland! The first Chinese indie filmmaker has most recently taken on the role of writer-director for Marvel’s Eternals with the mission of increasing visibility for the queer and BIPOC communities. A graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts and having studied under Spike Lee, Zhao has grown to master the art of storytelling with gritty, ethereal, and magical elements to highlight stories that appeal to various communities.
Two of her first films, Daughters (2010) and Songs My Brother Taught Me (2015) are a testament to Zhao’s dedication to authenticity and social awareness. Daughters explores the social hierarchy that comes with arranged marriages in rural China in addition to early ideals of feminism in such a conservative society. Speaking to her own Chinese heritage with Daughters, Zhao eloquently and gracefully gave a platform to the Indigenous North American Lakota Sioux people with Songs My Brother Taught Me. Mirroring her own life struggles with pursing dreams and leaving unhealthy family situations, Zhao crafted a brother sister duo that embodied the spirit of adolescence, independence, and lineage healing. Respecting the Lakota Sioux reservations used during filming, Zhao was able to utilize spiritually significant locations the Indigenous tribe upheld as sacred, grounding the Zhao’s film in the heart of raw Native American piety.
Zhao holds accolades for a plethora of outstanding films and shorts, and her work in the industry, exposing new audiences to diversified stories and visual representations remains essential to her filmmaking style and career!
If you’re an Eternals fan, check out Zhao’s latest comments on the series’ reception here!
