The Oscars 2020 ceremony hasn't even officially started—and we already have our first political statement of the evening. Well, it wasn't an overt political statement like an endorsement of a nominee, but Natalie Portman has made it very clear how she feels about the lack of female representation in this year's directing nominees.
The actor and Oscar winner arrived on the red carpet in a stunning Dior creation, complete with a cape. But it was the special detailing along the edge of the cape's seam that said it all. The actor had the names of the women—like Greta Gerwig (Little Women), Lulu Wang (The Farewell), and Lorene Scafaria (Hustlers)—who were not recognized in the all-male directing category sewn into the design. Los Angeles Times reporter Amy Kaufman caught up with Portman on the red carpet, where she explained why she decided to do this. "I wanted to recognize the women who were not recognized for their incredible work this year in a...subtle way," she said.
X content
Here's the full-length view—her whole look is strong and striking, in general.
And a closer look at the last names woven into the design.
It's a power move, but certainly not the first time Portman has called out the lack of women's names in the directing category at an awards show. Back at the 2018 Golden Globes, she announced the nominees for Best Director by saying, "And here are the all-male nominees" before reading the names.
X content
This year, despite work from talented women like Gerwig, Scafaria, Wang, Marielle Heller (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood), Melina Mantsoukas (Queen & Slim), and more—not a single woman was nominated for Best Director. Instead the statue will go to either Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), Martin Scorsese (The Irishman), Todd Philipps (Joker), Bong Joon-ho (Parasite), or Sam Mendes (1917).
Thanks to Portman, however, their names will remain in the conversation and the press. Let's hope the Academy will learn its lesson for next year's Oscars.
