'We Want a Female Oscar!' Calls for Gender Equality in Hollywood Resound

By Staff Reporter

With the impactful rise of feminine power at the Governors Awards, fans may have just witnessed a grand rebirth of the famous Oscar.

Italian filmmaker Lina Wertmuller, 91, was presented with an honorary Oscar award by two of the four filmmakers she has inspired to follow her footsteps.

The Anna Awards?

Wertmuller is the first female filmmaker ever nominated for an Academy Award for the best director when she was recognized for the 1976 film "Seven Beauties." Last June, the veteran directress was chosen to receive an honorary Oscar award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Now, on Sunday night, Jane Campion (nominated for "The Piano" in 1994) and Greta Gerwig ("Lady Bird" in 2018) finally handed her the statuette.

Wertmuller delivered her acceptance speech in Italian, and Isabella Rosselini was there to translate it for the audience.

"She would like to change the Oscar to a feminine name," Rosselini explained. "She would like to call it 'Anna.' Women in the room, please scream, 'We want Anna, a female Oscar!"

It is perhaps safe to say that the Governors night has become a night of surmounting a few of Hollywood's exclusionary traditions, granting chance to the outsiders to be recognized amid the established norm.

Underrepresentation in Hollywood

In the same night, a fellow honoree, Cherokee-American actor Wes Studi also noted the obvious under-representation that has been going on in the industry for decades now.

"I'd simply like to say, it's about time," Studi declared as he accepted his award. "It's been a wild and wonderful ride, and I'm really proud to be here tonight as the first indigenous Native American to receive an Academy Award. It's a humbling honor to receive an award for something I love to do."

Studi's "Hostiles" co-star, Christian Bale, was the one who presented him the award. Bale pointed out the fact that there are very few opportunities for Native or indigenous artists in the film industry.

Director David Lynch, who was known for his surrealist films such as "Eraserhead," "The Elephant Man," "Blue Velvet" and "Mulholland Drive" was also an honoree in the occassion. He accepted his award in a short, Lynchian way.

"To the Academy and everyone who helped me along the way, thanks. [To Oscar] You have a very nice face. Good night."

For Academy President and casting director David Rubin, it was the first major event since he was elected to the position in August. He called the venue an "anxiety-free zone" that was "so rare" and "so needed" in the town.

With the room-full of potential donors, Rubin also took his chance to note that the long-delayed Academy Museum will open in 2020.