Chloé Zhao seized the world’s attention with her 2017 film The Rider, a sparse and stunning portrait of a struggling Native American family in South Dakota. And she did so again with Nomadland, for which she became the first Asian woman to win an Oscar for Best Director. With a compassionate eye, she deftly weaves together narrative and documentary in a way that captures the spirit of the characters’ inner selves, allowing us to see into their lives and truly understand them. Even her heartbreakingly beautiful objective shots are a reflection of the mind—deeply sad, yet incredibly kind.
Chloé seems to be a nomad in a strange land, a rebellious wanderer without a home. But that freedom comes with an edge: a special point of view that unburdens her from the usual familiarity with a culture and its subconscious ideas of what should be. Through that lens, she is able to observe incisively, to grasp sharply the essence of a story and portray it with deep empathy, without judgment or commentary.
Chloé is a true gem of an artist. Her study of human beings searching for their place in the world is uniquely compelling. In a world of divisiveness, her vision is something precious.
Lee is an Oscar-winning director
- Meet TIME’s Newest Class of Next Generation Leaders
- After Visiting Both Ends of the Earth, I Realized How Much Trouble We’re In
- Google Is Making It Easier to Remove Personal Info From Search
- Oil Companies Posted Huge Profits. Here’s Where The Cash Will Go (Hint: Not Climate)
- Column: We Asked Hundreds of Americans About Abortion. Their Feelings Were Complicated
- A Short History of the Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of the Marcos Family
- Long-Lasting Birth Control Is Already Hard to Get. Advocates Worry It May Only Get Worse
- Who Should Be on the 2022 TIME100? Vote Now
