For those who think #OscarsSoWhite is over just because “Moonlight,” “Fences,” and “Hidden Figures” are in the awards-season race, you’re missing the point. More representation is always a good thing, but this is just one year, and cinema has a long history of ignoring diverse voices. Change is coming, but the first steps are still being taken. And it’s that message “Moonlight” director Barry Jenkins got across at the National Board Of Review ceremonies this week.
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Though the awards were announced all the way back in November, the dinner and party was last night, and Jenkins used his acceptance speech for Best Director — he’s the first black filmmaker given the honor — to reflect on his position in history, and where things need to go next. Here’s what he had to say (via Vulture):
I wasn’t going to say this, but shit, I’ve got to say it. So I know exactly where I was when I found out that I was going to receive this very prestigious honor from the National Board of Review. I was at a Q&A, and [publicist] Peggy Siegal ran in and said, “Oh my god, Barry Jenkins, you just won Best Director from the National Board of Review!” And she had this look on her face, and I was like, “Why does she look like that?” And then she said, “And you’re the first black director, the first black person to ever receive that distinction.” [Applause] I didn’t want to talk about this, but we’re here, so let’s talk about it. And so I wondered, “Why is that?” I looked through, this organization started in 1909, and I looked at all the names of best director. And they were all amazing names. And just like this year, we all have a choice, Kenneth Lonergan could be up here, Damien Chazelle could be up here, Pablo Larraín, Kelly Reichardt … There are so many people who made great work this year. You have a choice, and this year, you chose me. And in all those years, all those directors who were chosen made great films, but then I thought about it, and I said, “You know what? There were certain people who just weren’t considered. For so long, they were never considered. Until 2012, someone like Kathryn Bigelow had never been considered.”
So I want to thank you guys from the National Board of Review, for making this very kind gesture of considering me for this award, and bestowing it upon me. You know, the country is changing, the world is changing, and you know, we’re trying to make America great again. [Audience laughs] All I’m going to say is, I’m going to take this honor as a symbol of being considered. It’s a very considerable gesture of making America great again. And what I want to say is, I want to acknowledge this because as we make America great again, let’s remember some of the inconsiderable things in our legacy, because there was a time when somebody like me was not considered. Thank you very much.
It’s a lovely speech, and a reminder that the barriers to progress that are now being lifted have been in place for a long, long time.
“Moonlight” is now playing.
