Contents
Chloé Zhao
Directing Nomadland and becoming the first woman of colour to win the directing Oscar.
Songs My Brothers Taught Me · The Rider
- Born
- 31 March 1982
- Birthplace
- Beijing, China
More people
Chloé Zhao
A Chinese-born filmmaker whose early films combine fictional stories with real places and nonprofessional performers. Landscape and the rhythms of ordinary work are central to that approach.
Early life
International education
Grew up in Beijing and attended school in Britain and the United States.
Film studies
Studied political science at Mount Holyoke before filmmaking at New York University.
Career
- 2015
First feature
Released Songs My Brothers Taught Me.
- 2017
The Rider
Built a drama around a rodeo rider facing injury.
- 2020–2021
Nomadland
Won the Golden Lion and Oscars for directing and Best Picture.
- 2021
Studio filmmaking
Directed Marvel’s Eternals.
Selected work
Songs My Brothers Taught Me
A family story set on the Pine Ridge reservation.
The Rider
A rider confronts the loss of the activity defining his identity.
Nomadland
Follows mobile lives shaped by work, loss and economic insecurity.
Beyond directing
Collaborative method
Often works with people whose experiences inform their screen roles.
Interests
Has described a longstanding enthusiasm for manga and popular cinema.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Academy Awards ceremony ↗Photo: Harald Krichel. CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
