The controversy continues after the Oscar 2023 nominations. After this year’s nominees were announced, many social media users began to issue comments against the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The reason? White actors dominated the best of the year lists. For many, the omissions of Viola Davis (the king woman) and Danielle Deadwyler (Till: Justice for my son) in Best Actress are inexcusable. And it is precisely Chinonye Chukwu, director of Till: Justice for my sonwho accuses the organizers of the Oscars of misogyny.
Through his Instagram account, Chukwu issued the following message which, as expected, generated many reactions:
“We live in a world and work in industries that are so aggressively committed to defending whiteness and perpetuating a blatant misogyny towards black women,” she wrote.
Many say that the publication was in defense of Deadwyler, the protagonist of his film. For many industry insiders, his performance was one of the best of the year. According to them, there was no way the Academy would denigrate her work by leaving her out of the Best Actress nominees. But it happened. And even worse, She wasn’t the only black actress overlooked in the category; Viola Davis also did not receive a place in the top 5 performances of the year according to the Academy. Her places were occupied, according to many moviegoers and experts, by Ana de Armas and Andrea Riseborough.
“I will always be grateful for the greatest lesson of my life: regardless of any challenge or obstacle, I will always have the power to cultivate my own joy, and it is this joy that will continue to be one of my greatest forms of resilience,” Chukwu added.
In Till: Justice for my son, Danielle Deadwyler plays Mamie Till-Mobley. She did not tire of seeking justice after the lynching of her son Emmett while she was visiting her cousins in Mississippi. The film is described as a moving journey of grief for Mamie, who turns grief into action, and shows the universal power of a mother’s ability to change the world. It is based on a true story.
For many, the 95th Academy Awards will be one with many white nominees. The accusation of misogyny by the director of till: justice for my son, and the many comments on social networks have reopened a controversial discussion. Some say the tape did not have enough to be considered in multiple categories, while others fervently support Chinonye Chukwu’s statements.
What do you think?
