Over the past weekend, the annual extravaganza of the BAFTAs took place. Of course, this was an awards ceremony that was completely different to any other we could have anticipated. We had three main hosts that would entertain us from the Royal Albert Hall – Dermot O’Leary, Clara Amfo and Edith Bowman, and what an exceptional job they did under the circumstances.
Viewers were also graced with some pretty spectacular live acts – one that I was particularly moved by was ‘A change is gonna come’ by Leslie Odom Jr. and Corinne Bailey Rae… they really did sing to the heart and the goosebumps were real!
Of course, nominees weren’t able to attend the prestigious venue this year and instead had to receive their awards remotely. Although, the star of the show “Nomadland” and the cast behind it may have been slightly glad about that – at least being sat at home meant they weren’t having to do laps in the Royal Albert Hall.
What is Nomadland about?
Nomadland is a 2020 American Drama that follows the life of a woman that leaves her hometown in Nevada after her husband dies and her career industry closes down, to be homeless and travel around her country. The woman, Fern, opts to sell the majority of her belongings to trade in for a van so that she can travel in the search for work. It is a truly heartwarming film about loss, friendship and finding yourself in this crazy world.
What did it win?
Nomadland managed to secure a whopping four BAFTAs, a truly phenomenal number – honouring the hard work and craftsmanship that went into this film.
Amongst some brilliant films with big names and figures, Nomadland took the number one podium for Best Film. Leading actress, Frances McDormand (also seen in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) claimed Best Actress. Their third BAFTA was received by Joshua James Richards for Best Cinematography. Finally, last but not least, Chloe Zhao won the award for Best Director.
Who is Chloe Zhao?
Chloe is a Chinese filmmaker that is most commonly known for her work in U.S independent films such as ‘Songs my brothers taught me‘. She is also only the second woman in history to win Best Director at the BAFTAs, and the first Chinese filmmaker to win the award. It is an extraordinary achievement that is a testament to her career so far.
In her acceptance speech for Best Film, she dedicated the award to “the nomadic community who so generously welcomed us into their lives.”
Her response to her own award of Best Director was of a slightly different tone as she claimed that she would be ‘very hungover’ on Monday morning, after celebrating the successes. She also added: “It’s never too early to be drunk in California”. Go, Chloe! After breaking some history, she really does deserve the celebrations that come with it – regardless of what time of day it is!
Most emotional moment
For me, there was a really stripped back moment in last nights award that caught me very off-guard. Over the last year, we have lost some immensely talented people within the film industry, some names that I felt truly awful for forgetting. The sequence of images and videos of the angels that have left us was simply supported by a black background and soft music. The Memoriam honoured the stars in the best possible way – it was a perfect way to commemorate their lives. Stars included: Chadwick Boseman, Sir Sean Connery and Dame Barbara Windsor.
Who else won?
Of course, Nomadland didn’t win all the awards and there were some well-known and globally loved names that we were all rooting for!
Leading Actor – Anthony Hopkins, The Father
^ I was fully screaming at the TV for this one, praying that he would take the win! COME ON HANNIBAL LECTER
Rising Star – Bukky Bakray
^ A completely humbled and deserved winner, her acceptance speech really was beautiful and honoured all those that had helped her to that moment.
Outstanding British Film – Promising Young Woman
^ Remember Camilla from The Crown, Season 4? Well, she directed this masterpiece and wow, did it look amazing – It’s available on Amazon Prime to rent so that might be me sorted for tonight!
Film not in the English Language – Another Round
^ Of course, with the BAFTAs, you’re never going to see an awful lot about the film but the one scene I did get to see a bit of, I was desperate to see more. Four men stumbling around, falling on the floor, looking as though they’ve had waaaaay too many pints at the pub – I mean, it’s all very relatable.
Supporting Actor – Daniel Kaluuya, Judas And The Black Messiah
^ I most know Daniel for his role in Black Panther but of course, that wasn’t going to be his last rodeo of big movies. Any movie that has FBI written in the description, you can immediately bet that I will sit down and watch. This film is no different, “Plea Deal, “Intelligence”, “Informant”…. they’re all words that are setting this film high-up on my watchlist.
Congratulations
A huge round of applause to every single person within the film industry – from the directors to the runners, every single person has their part and the resilience that they have shown throughout this pandemic has been truly admirable. Here’s to getting back to ‘normal’ and hopefully the return of the BAFTAs next year in their true style. Cheers! (With my coffee, of course, it’s not even 10 am yet).