Chloe Zhao makes DGA Awards history, becomes first Asian woman to win highest honour

Filmmaker Chloe Zhao won big at the recent Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards for her feature film Nomadland, adding to the already impressive list of Chloe Zhao's awards. The filmmaker made history by becoming the first Asian woman to win the trophy for best feature directing at the 73rd edition of the DGA awards. She is also the second woman ever to win said DGA Award after Kathryn Bigelow won for her 2009 movie The Hurt Locker. 

More about Chloe Zhao's win at the DGA Awards 

Chloe Zhao, won the Best Director prize defeating directors like David Fincher for Mank, Aaron Sorkin for The Trial of the Chicago 7, Lee Isaac Chung for Minari and Emerald Fennell for Promising Young Woman. Chloe used her acceptance speech to thank and honour the work of each of her fellow nominees. She began with Emerald Fennell saying, "Emerald, you are so brilliant, so daring, and in such control of your craft with a unique voice, I can’t wait to see what thought-provoking journey you’re going to take us on next". 

She went on to praise Lee Chung saying, "Lee, your film touched me on such a personal level. You’re able to show us so much beauty and love in such an honest and authentic way, I think it’s incredible what you’ve done.". While praising Sorkin, she mentioned, "Aaron, you’re a poet, I can feel my heart beating with yours when watching your film, it’s such a passionate and exhilarating ride, I don’t want to ever get off." and finally for Fincher, the filmmaker added, "David, your film is a masterclass. All your films are. You’re not only a master of the craft, you also have created some of the most nuanced and humanistic performances I’ve ever seen. Your conviction is so inspiring and there’s no one like you". 

Nomadland features Oscar winner Frances McDormand, playing a woman who leaves home to travel around the American West after losing her job. The winner of the DGA Awards’ highest honour, which was received by Zhao, has historically been an indicator for which filmmaker will go on to win the prize for Best Director at the Academy Awards with the exception of last year when Sam Mendes bagged the award for his war drama 1917 but lost the Academy Award to South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-Ho, who won for his movie Parasite.

Promo Image source - Filmatic Instagram