Five stars (or subjects) from their Oscar nominated Netflix documentary will be walking the red carpet at tonight's Oscar telecast.
Barack and Michelle Obama are not expected to attend tonight's Oscar ceremony in Hollywood during which American Factory — the Netflix film backed by their production company Higher Ground — is projected to take home the gold. But co-directors Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert tell The Hollywood Reporter that they will be accompanied at the Dolby Theatre by some surprise guests.
"Five stars of the movie will be with us," Bognar revealed on the blue carpet Saturday at the Spirit Awards in Santa Monica where they accepted the best documentary trophy and delivered a powerful speech. "And by stars, we mean five of the factory workers are coming to the Oscars. They are trading in their heavy factory clothes, cut protectors, safety glasses and gloves in favor of gowns. They look so great and we're so proud and excited to be going there and celebrating them."
The Netflix doc, produced and financed by Participant, is set in an abandoned General Motors plant in Ohio that reopens when Chinese billionaire chairman Cao Dewang buys it and turns it into windshield factory Fuyao Glass America. As the story unfolds, the film captures the initial optimism of plant employees that, over time, is tempered by increasing demands from management in the chase for profits. It mixes humor and heartbreak as it paints a picture of life in small town America while allowing the workers to share their personal journeys of trying to scrape together a living.
Bognar added that the chairman was also on board to attend the Oscars but due to the coronavirus outbreak, he's now no longer able to attend. "He was flying in with his own plane and we had a ticket for him [to the Oscars], but because of the virus, he can't leave China," he explained. "He decided not to endanger anybody, which was wonderful of him."
Following Sunday's Oscar telecast, the American Factory crew will celebrate at a private party, capping off a season that has been generous. They have won more than a dozen best documentary prizes from awards groups and critics organizations including from the DGA, National Board of Review, Gotham Awards, International Documentary Association and the Sundance Film Festival, where, following is debut, it was picked up by the Obamas for their first offering from their production company.
The wild ride has delivered countless pinch-me moments for both Bognar and Reichert, the latter of whom is making the awards season rounds while also battling cancer via chemotherapy treatments. Asked for her most memorable moment, Reichert didn't hesitate even if the experience has been an unnatural one to claim. "Something I have really loved is that women who are more than half my age, even in their 20's or early 30's, have asked for selfies or for my autograph," she explained. "At first, it's kind of embarrassing but then I think you know, if they're going to have a role model, I'm not a bad role model. I'm a working class kid from a small town who worked her ass off and makes films about working people, regular people."
Bognar looked on as Reichert shared her story, saying that she deserves the success and attention. His most memorable moment happened far away from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood's red carpet-laden awards season. "We were are the Traverse City Film Festival in Michigan and we met For Sama filmmakers Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts and one of the stars Hamza Al-Khateab," he shared. "We all went swimming in Lake Michigan and nearby, these two little kids were tossing a football in the water. They were probably 8-year-olds and they threw the ball to Hamza who had never played football. Here he is, this brilliant doctor from Syria who survived bombing and shelling and he is just tossing a football with two little kids. The poetry of that moment really was amazing."
Here is Ted Sarandos catching up with his now #SpiritAwards winners. https://t.co/ve8LmrO2ts pic.twitter.com/fMZUNSPosk
— Chris Gardner (@chrissgardner) February 8, 2020
"Factory" - Google News
February 10, 2020 at 02:52AM
https://ift.tt/2SeoQyk
'American Factory' Obama Oscar Documentary Co-Directors on Surprise Guests at Academy Awards - Hollywood Reporter
"Factory" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2TEEPHn
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "'American Factory' Obama Oscar Documentary Co-Directors on Surprise Guests at Academy Awards - Hollywood Reporter"
Post a Comment