Nomadland’s Chloe Zhao Is The First Asian Woman To Receive A Golden Globe Directing Nomination

History is made when Chloe Zhao, the director of the Nomadland, the acclaimed drama starring Frances McDormand, became the first Asian woman to land a Golden Globe nomination for direction.

The film — about a woman (McDormand) who leaves her small town to travel around the Midwest during the 2008 recession — also picked up nominations for Best Picture (Drama), Best Actress and Best Screenplay.

Zhao, 38, is one of the three women to receive Golden Globe directing nods this year; the others are Emerald Fennell for Promising Young Woman, Regina King for One Night in Miami. According to Deadline, in the Golden Globes’ 77-year history, only seven women have been nominated; Ava DuVernay was the last woman nominated in 2015 for Selma.

Previous directors of Asian descent who were nominated for Best Director at the Golden Globes include Ang Lee for 1995’s Sense and Sensibility and 2012’s Life of Pi, and Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite.

Nomadland has already been feted the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival and the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. It also took home top honours from the National Society of Film Critics, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the New York Film Circles Circle.

The film had its Southeast Asian premiere in December at the Singapore International Film Festival.

Judging from all the accolades and awards Zhao has received so far, she is a strong contender at the Oscars, which will announce its nominations on March 15.

Zhao’s next movie couldn’t be more different than Nomadland: Marvel’s Eternals, starring Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Gemma Chan, Don Lee and Kumail Nanjiani.

The movie, about a race of immortal aliens coexisting with the humans over millennia, was supposed to be out last November but was delayed a few times by the COVID-19 crisis. It will now debut here on Oct 28, a week before its US bow.

The 78th annual Golden Globe Awards will take place on Feb 28 (or Mar 1 in Singapore time). Click here for the full list of nominations.

Photo: Searchlight Studios, TPG News/Click Photos