Adult actors in ‘The Whale’ won Oscars for best lead and supporting acting in 2023, but if you catch up with awarded movies this holiday, the film’s depiction of teens warrants scrutiny.
A focus on financial compensation for subjects of ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ overshadowed the need to examine storytelling conventions and creative practices in contemporary documentary filmmaking.
Gregory Camp, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Both Babylon and The Fabelman’s were nominated for Academy Awards for best score – and both take opposing but equally successful approaches evoking nostalgia.
In the film Tár, the full screen credit list which we usually get at the end of the film, attributing the labour of the production, came before the film proper. Why?
Despite increasing use of non-English languages demonstrating broader acceptance of linguistic diversity in a globalized world, films sometimes suggest associations between ‘foreignness’ and villainy.
Big-name awards can certainly be a boon for Black filmmakers and actors. But they don’t reflect the breakthroughs that have been made in the types of Black stories that are getting told.
Awards aren’t just about improving chances in the eyes of funders – the recognition of an award can mean the difference between stopping and continuing.
‘Tár’ shines a spotlight on the challenges of working in the ultraconservative world of classical music, including complex social issues such as misogyny, racism and homophobia.