Kathryn Bigelow was nominated for an Oscar for directing the Iraq War film The Hurt Locker this morning. She is only the fourth woman ever to be nominated in the directing category , joining Lina Wertmüller, Sofia Coppola, and Jane Campion. Bigelow talked at length to DoubleX contributor Willa Paskin last year. Here’s what she had to say about being a woman directing action movies:
The fact that I’m a woman and I made it, well, that’s not first and foremost in the matrix or the lens with which I look at any particular endeavor. But, if it could be a model to ignite and incite other filmmakers, be they men or women, then, I think that’s something valuable and exciting … I think of a person as a filmmaker, not a male or female filmmaker. Or I think of them as a painter, not a male or female painter. I don’t view the world like that. Yes, we’re informed by who we are, and perhaps we’re even defined by that, but yet, the work has to speak for itself.
Bigelow also went on the Today Show this morning to talk about her nomination and addressed all the chatter about her competition in the best director category- namely, her ex-husband, Avatar director James Cameron . When asked about the alleged rivalry between her and Cameron, Kathryn said graciously, “I’m rooting for him.” Clip below.
Photograph of Kathryn Bigelow by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.
