Past Lives failed to pick up any awards at last night’s Oscars after losing out to Oppenheimer and Anatomy of a Fall.
The Korean drama was nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay at the 96th Academy Awards.
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer took home Best Picture whilst French legal drama Anatomy of a Fall won Best Original Screenplay.
American Fiction, Anatomy of a Fall, Barbie, The Holdovers, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, Poor Things, and The Zone of Interest were also nominated for Best Picture. The Holdovers, Maestro and May December competed for Best Screenplay.
Greta Lee was also snubbed from the Oscar, failing to even receive a nomination for her stellar role in Past Lives, in which the nominees for Best Actress were as follows:
- Annette Bening, Nyad
- Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
- Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall
- Carey Mulligan, Maestro
- Emma Stone, Poor Things
Emma Stone took home the award, which Barbie fans had decried should have been reserved for Margot Robbie, who was also not nominated.
Read more: Oscar Snub: Forget Margot Robbie in ‘Barbie’, What About Greta Lee in ‘Past Lives’?
Past Lives has garnered a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score and has won and been nominated for a variety of awards around the world.
Directed by Celine Song in her impressive debut, Past Lives is a contemplative romance drama that explores the enduring connection between two childhood friends, Nora, portrayed by Greta Lee, and Hae Sung, played by Teo Yoo.
Read more: ‘Past Lives’ Wins Best Picture in Gold House And CAPE’s “Gold List”
The story spans decades, tracing their separation when Nora’s family moves from South Korea to Canada and their brief reunion in New York City years later, reflecting on the choices that have shaped their lives.
Song highlighted the importance of word-of-mouth for the success of independent films. “It’s an independent film; it needs word of mouth for people to really come to it,” Song told Digital Spy, expressing gratitude for the media attention the film has received.
However, the Oscars weren’t completely devoid of Asian representation. Studio Ghibli creator Hayao Miyazaki won his second Oscar for his Japanese animated feature film, The Boy and the Heron.
Read more: Hayao Miyazaki Wins Second Oscar With ‘The Boy and the Heron’
The Japanese anime film, which won “Best Animated Feature Film,” also won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA earlier this year. Miyazaki previously won an Oscar for the Studio Ghibli classic Spirited Away in 2003.
