Alex Arabian May 14, 2021Updated: May 14, 2021, 7:31 am
In the Hulu film “Run,” Kiera Allen became the first wheelchair-using actor to star in a major feature thriller since Susan Peters’ role in “The Sign of the Ram.” That was in 1948. Photo: Allen Fraser, Hulu
Since the late 1980s, you may have noticed a paradigm shift in film and television toward authentic disability representation. Not only has this provided more roles for people with disabilities, but it has also helped to destigmatize and normalize their stories to audiences around the world.
After earlier roles for people with disabilities used them mostly for humor, horror or disgust, this second wave aims to debunk notions that having a disability constitutes less than “normal,” or that it defines someone.
‘Nomadland’ Wins Best Picture Oscar, the Second Female-Directed Film Ever to Do So IndieWire 1 hr ago
“Nomadland” took home a historic big win Sunday night at the Academy Awards when it received the Best Picture Oscar: it’s only the second film directed by a woman in Oscars history to achieve a Best Picture victory. Director Kathryn Bigelow’s “The Hurt Locker” (for which Bigelow also became the first female Oscar winner for Best Director) was previously the only female-directed movie to do so. The prize for “Nomadland” at the Academy Awards on Sunday went to producer/director Chloé Zhao, producer/star Frances McDormand, and producers Peter Spears, Mollye Asher, and Dan Janvey. “Nomadland” marks Zhao’s third feature directorial effort following “Songs My Brother Taught Me” and “The Rider.” Zhao also won the Best Director prize earlier in the evening.