Documentaries are often among the best movies of the year, but in 93 years of Oscar ceremonies, no documentary has ever been nominated for Best Picture. Many documentaries campaign heavily for Best Original Song, and six documentaries have been nominated in the category over the past decade. “Honeyland” and “Collective” received nominations for Best International Feature Film, but campaigns for “Hoop Dreams” and “Fahrenheit 9/11” came up short.
The oversight raises major questions about the way the Academy Awards tend to prioritize conventional narratives over non-fiction, and whether that distinction has any merit in the first place. “What the fuck is a picture in a Best Picture race? I don’t know even know what that means,” said veteran documentary executive Sheila Nevins, a no-nonsense advocate for the form who produced over 1,000 documentaries at HBO prior to joining MTV Studios. “A best picture of what? There is no rule that says anything about reality versus reenactment.
The oversight raises major questions about the way the Academy Awards tend to prioritize conventional narratives over non-fiction, and whether that distinction has any merit in the first place. “What the fuck is a picture in a Best Picture race? I don’t know even know what that means,” said veteran documentary executive Sheila Nevins, a no-nonsense advocate for the form who produced over 1,000 documentaries at HBO prior to joining MTV Studios. “A best picture of what? There is no rule that says anything about reality versus reenactment.
- 11/30/2021
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
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