Chloe Zhao makes history with Best Director win at Oscars

Chloe Zhao made history when she won Best Director at the Academy Awards on Sunday (April 25).

The Chinese filmmaker became the first woman of colour and only the second female ever to take home the Oscar for Best Director thanks to her work on Nomadland, and after paying tribute to her "brilliant" fellow nominees - David Fincher (Mank), Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman), Lee Isaac Chung (Minari), and Thomas Vinterberg (Another Round), she thanked everyone who worked on the movie.

She said: "Oh man. Thank you to the Academy, to my brilliant, brilliant fellow nominees. My entire 'Nomadland' company, what a crazy once-in-a-lifetime journey we went on together, thank you so much, I'm so grateful to you."

Chloe also reflected on a lesson she learned in childhood that has stayed with her throughout her life.

She said: "When I was growing up in China, my dad and I would play this game and memorise classic poems and texts. We'd recite them together and try and finish each other's sentences.

"[One said] 'People at birth are inherently good', and that had such an impact on me when I was a kid and I still believe in that today. Even though the opposite may seem true, I have always found goodness for the people I met, so this is for anyone who has the faith and the courage to hold out for the goodness in themselves and each other. 

"This is for you, you inspire me and keep me going, so thank you."

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