Jane Campion hailed the shattering of Hollywood’s glass ceiling as her movie “The Power of the Dog” was named the year’s best film by her fellow directors Saturday — a major accolade which historically leads to Oscars glory.
Campion won the Directors Guild of America’s top prize for her Netflix adaptation of a Western novel about the toxic masculinity of sexually repressed cowboys, fending off illustrious rivals at the Los Angeles gala including Steven Spielberg.
Campion is the third woman to ever win the top Directors Guild of America prize, after Kathryn Bigelow for 2008’s “The Hurt Locker,” and Chloe Zhao last year for “Nomadland.”
The New Zealand auteur said it was increasingly common to hear about glass ceilings being shattered during Hollywood’s award season, and that “perhaps it’s time to claim a sense of victory on that front.”
“We’ve come so far and what’s more, we’re never going backwards,” she said, before capping the night by taking the top prize, presented by last year’s winner Zhao.
“I’m so proud of you… I’m here because I care about women having voices as well,” said Campion.
Campion, who was first nominated in 1994 for “The Piano,” earlier in the night reflected on a time when she was frequently “the only woman in the room.”
“I remember that outsider feeling as I fought to get my stories told, to bring dynamic stories from underserved perspectives to light in a male-dominated field.”
Maggie Gyllenhaal won best first-time director for “The Lost Daughter,” a drama about the challenges and taboos surrounding motherhood.
Gyllenhaal — until now primarily known as an actress in films such as “The Dark Knight” and “Secretary” — said watching Campion’s “The Piano” as a teen had “changed my life” and sparked a desire to one day direct.
“I think it is one of the real reasons that I am standing here and that ultimately, I got brave enough to say what I wanted,” said Gyllenhaal.
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