Oscar triumph for Chinese-born director Chloe Zhao

She won the prize for the best director and best film with “Nomadland”. She is the second woman to ever win Best Director award. Chinese netizens: she is "the light of China". The boycott and censorship of Beijing.

Los Angeles (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Chloe Zhao triumphed yesterday at the Oscars. Born in Beijing, educated in Great Britain and residing in the US, the 39-year-old director won the award for best director and the one for best film with the film "Nomadland".

Zhao is the second woman to ever win the Oscar for best director: the first was the American Kathryn Bigelow 11 years ago.

In her acceptance speech, she recited the first passage of a classical Chinese poem (San Zi Jing): "When they are born, men are good by nature". Her tribute to the culture of her country of origin was widely appreciated byChinese netizens. Some users of the Weibo social network celebrated her as "the light of China".

Positive reactions towards her were not taken for granted in China. Chinese authorities boycotted the Oscars ceremony, banning its broadcast. They contested the nomination of the documentary "Do not split", which chronicles the violence suffered by democracy protesters in Hong Kong in 2019.

Zhao herself is not in the good graces of the Beijing regime. Referring to her early years in China, in 2013 she said she grew up in a society where "there were lies everywhere". Because of this comment, the Chinese authorities censored and pulled the Nomadland film from cinemas.