China blocks mention of Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao
She has occasionally criticised China, upsetting nationalists on social media
WHEN CHLOÉ ZHAO won Best Director for her film “Nomadland” at the Golden Globes in February, film buffs in China, the land of her birth, were ecstatic. State media proclaimed she was the pride of China. “Congratulations,” gushed Zhang Ziyi, star of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, on social media. “Look forward to the Oscars.” Two months on, however, as Ms Zhao became the first woman of colour to win an Oscar for Best Director, and “Nomadland” scooped Best Picture, her name was nowhere to be seen.
What happened? The answer is a form of nationalist backlash that is increasingly common. Soon after Ms Zhao won the Golden Globe, internet-users dug up comments she had made in 2013, saying China is “a place where there are lies everywhere”. Censors pounced, removing any mention of her from the Chinese internet.
This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline "Dissing Oscar"
From the May 1st 2021 edition
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