OSCAR CALL
Oscar picks inter-species romance amid call for inclusivity
Frances McDormand, winner of best actress award for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. She gave a call for an ‘inclusion rider’ — an obscure method to increase film production diversity that she hopes will go mainstream.
Los Angeles, March 5: The Shape of Water, a fantasy drama about a mute cleaning lady who falls for a sea creature, turned out to be the big winner at the politically-charged 90th Academy Awards, bagging four trophies, including Best Picture and Best Director for Guillermo del Toro.
In a tight best picture race, the inter-species romance triumphed over award season favourites Get Out and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. The film also won Best Original Score for Alexandre Desplat and Best Production Design.
Del Toro’s double win as director and producer once again underscored the domination of Mexican filmmakers at the Academy Awards. His win is the fourth time a Mexican has taken home the prize in the last five years, after Alfonso Cuaron won in 2014 for Gravity and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu in 2015 and 2016 for The Birdman and The Revenant.
Del Toro acknowledged as much in his acceptance speech while taking a potshot at President Donald Trump’s comments about building a wall between Mexico and the US.
I am an immigrant like Alfonso and Alejandro, my compadres. Like Gael (Garcia Bernal), like Salma (Hayek) and like many, many of you... — GUILLERMO DEL TORO over Trump’s wall comment