February 8, 2023
‘Woman King’ Director Calls Out Oscars for Excluding Her Film This Year
Black women in Hollywood are not staying silent about getting the recognition they deserve.
Gina Prince-Bythewood, director of The Woman King, a film that has reached over $94 million at the box office, is addressing her disappointment with learning the movie was not in the running for any of the. categories at the Oscars this year.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Prince-Bythewood said this awards season was eye-opening for her.
“I’ve gotten so many texts and emails from people in the industry outraged by the Oscar nominations. Of course, I’m disappointed. Who wouldn’t be? Especially because there was so much love for our film,” the Hollywood director said.
Prince-Bythewood shared that in the Academy Awards’ 95 years of running, there has never been a Black filmmaker to win best director or a Black woman nominated.
The filmmaker highlighted the credentials the film has curated, including an A+ Cinemascore, 94% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes, and several top 10 lists, including AFI and the National Board of Review. She added that the film, which stars Oscar winner Viola Davis, is headed toward passing the $100 million mark at the global box office.
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“The Academy made a very loud statement, and for me to stay quiet is to accept that statement,” Prince-Bythewood shared. “So I agreed to speak up, on behalf of Black women whose work has been dismissed in the past, is dismissed now like Alice Diop and Saint Omer, Chinonye Chukwu and Till — and for those who haven’t even stepped on a set yet.”
Prince-Bythewood said the film wasn’t nominated for “one single craft,” and not even one extraordinary performance was recognized at the Awards, questioning how that is possible for a successful film that hit all the “so-called markers.”
“It’s not a snub. It’s a reflection of where the Academy stands and the consistent chasm between Black excellence and recognition. And, sadly, this is not just an issue in Hollywood but in every industry,” she said.
“My issue with what happened is how people in the industry use their social capital — screenings in their homes, personal calls, personal emails, personal connections, elevated status,” she said, adding that Black women don’t have that sort of power or privilege.