Chloe Zhao bags Golden Globe for helming ‘Nomadland’

Zhao was up against Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman), Regina King (One Night in Miami), David Fincher (Mank), and Aaron Sorkin (The Trial of the Chicago 7).

Washington: Chloe Zhao took home the Golden Globe for best director for ‘Nomadland’, making her the second woman ever to win for helming, and the first woman of colour to win in the category.

Zhao was up against Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman), Regina King (One Night in Miami), David Fincher (Mank), and Aaron Sorkin (The Trial of the Chicago 7).

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In Zhao’s ‘Nomadland’, Frances McDormand stars as Fern, a fractious widow barely getting by who drives a van around the United States, taking odd jobs, and meeting other nomads along the way (many of whom are played by non-professional actors).

‘Nomadland’ received four nominations, including Zhao for best screenplay, actress in a drama for McDormand, and best picture drama. Zhao had adapted it from Jessica Bruder’s 2017 nonfiction book of the same name.

Zhao is only the second woman to win a Golden Globe for director: Barbra Streisand won in 1984 for ‘Yentl’. Zhao is also the first director of Asian descent to win a Globe since Ang Lee won for 2005’s ‘Brokeback Mountain’. Lee also won for 2000’s ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’.

‘Nomadland’ is Zhao’s third feature film, following 2015’s ‘Songs My Brothers Taught Me’ and 2017’s much-lauded ‘The Rider’. Her next film project is Marvel’s highly anticipated ‘Eternals’, which is currently scheduled for a fall release after being delayed because of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the 78th Golden Globe Awards is taking place nearly two months later than normal, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinema and television.

This is the first bi-coastal ceremony, with Tina Fey hosting from the Rainbow Room in New York City, and Amy Poehler hosting from The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California.

The nominees for Golden Globes were announced on February 3 and Jane Fonda and Norman Lear were announced as the recipients of the Cecil B. DeMille Award and the Carol Burnett Award, respectively.