Dune Director Denis Villeneuve Relieved Due To His Oscar Snub
The Academy Awards always have their own set of unresolved controversies on their very hands. Not more than often, it’s just about a particular film or director being left out of the nominations, however, this year the Academy Awards have found a much bigger controversy after its decision to not give out many of its awards during the live telecast of the Awards globally.
There is one man who is going to be present in the room (but not nominated for his work) is none other than Dune director Denis Villeneuve, who has had a history of being extremely vocal on industry topics around filmmaking. And unsurprisingly, he is less than thrilled with the surprising decision.
The Academy Awards Decides To Not Give All Its Awards Live
The Oscars have faced a really harsh time in recent years to find its own audiences and keep on their TRPs. However, the low numbers have forced them to try a variety of things during their recent ceremonies to probably change that, with almost little to no success at all.
The latest effort, to streamline the telecast, is to give some of the awards before the actual Awards show even begins, and then finally edit their presentations into the whole show. Talking to Deadline, the director of Dune, a film that has been nominated in many of these categories that are currently being ‘mishandled’ by the Oscars, believes that treating known categories like Sound and Production Design in this way, totally ignores the valuable contributions of those people who actually make movies happen.
As Villeneuve puts it,
Honestly, I think that the Academy’s throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I think it’s a mistake. And I understand that they’re under tremendous pressure, but I think it isn’t the right decision. The thing is that filmmaking is about a teamwork. It’s like a football team. It’s like you have like all different kinds of jobs that everybody needs to get the top of its game; otherwise the movie collapses, you know? It’s a team effort.
In total, there are eight categories that are set to not be given out live during the Academy Awards broadcast, which is set to take place later this month. These categories include production design, documentary short, makeup/hairstyling, film editing, animated short, original score, live-action short and sound. It’s quite unsurprising that the people who worked hard in these categories are now feeling like second class, but director Denis Villeneuve doesn’t like it any more than they do.
While he does understand, and may even sympathize with the overall goal, he doesn’t believe that this is the way it should be handled by the Awards.
“I prefer people say ‘You should have been’ instead of ‘What the hell are you doing there?’ I’m not making movies to get awards recognition, that’s not the goal,” he continued. “If you do it for that goal you’re not walking the right in my humble opinion. I make cinema because I deeply love the art form of cinema, I love making movies. When there’s recognition after, of course it’s a blessing and a plus. There’s a voice inside me saying that it’s good to stay hungry, and as a film director I think I will be able to direct movies as long as I feel I can be better.”
This Wont Be The First Time Oscars Have Made This Decision!
There has been a lot of press surrounding Dune and its Oscar nominations. It has been completely focused on the lack of nomination for Denis Villeneuve for Best Director himself, but the director himself wants a spotlight on those that we don’t talk about very often. The Oscars are one place where many film disciplines get a chance to take the centre stage, only to be recognized by the people for their contribution to the films. To the director that’s the whole point of the Awards show. He explains…
In the media we are a lot about the directors. We are, of course, a lot about the actors. All the people that are working in the shadows there, unfortunately, they need to be seen and to be recognized, and these award shows are made for them.
However, this won’t be the first time that the Oscars has thought about not presenting all the awards live. But, the last time it happened the Academy managed to backpedal, however, now with the Awards just a few days away and no present sign that this is being reconsidered, it looks like it is going to happen this time. But will it actually impact the global broadcast and ratings, we will learn on March 27.
