It has been a bumpy road in the lead up to the Oscars. First, the show lost its host after comedian Kevin Hart came under fire for a series of old homophobic tweets, then the Academy tried introducing a new best popular film category, which it almost immediately abandoned after that too came under fire. Add to this, the ceremony itself came under fire after it was announced that it would cut down to three hours and that several less popular awards would be given out during commercial breaks.
Despite these issues, Chinese film-lovers were still excited to tune in on Monday morning China time to see if their favorite films won, especially since several nominees such as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Shoplifters, Black Panther and A Quiet Place were already screened in China. Adding to Chinese audiences' interest in the show was the large number of ethnic Chinese filmmakers up for awards this year.
Chinese representation
Chinese representation was strong at this year's ceremony.
Among the 2019 Oscar-nominated films was Bao, a short animated film by Chinese-Canadian director Domee Shi that tells the story of an aging Chinese mother who takes care of a stuffed bun that suddenly comes to life.
Also competing in the same category was One Small Step from directors Andrew Chesworth and Bobby Pontillas. This animated short was produced by Chinese-American Zhang Shaofu , who also co-wrote the film, and his Taiko Studios, which is based in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province.
In the end, Bao beat out One Small Step to win Oscar gold.
In a similar situation, films Free Solo and Minding the Gap went up against each other in the Best Documentary Feature category.
Minding the Gap, directed by Chinese-American director Liu Bing, delves into the lives of three young men trying to escape from bad homes in their Rust-Belt town.
Directed by husband and wife team Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, both of Chinese descent, Free Solo depicts the story of free climber Alex Honnold, who decided to achieve his dream of climbing the face of the 1,000-meter-tall El Capitan without a rope or any safety equipment. It seems the adage "two heads are better than one" has its merits, as the couple ended up taking home the Oscar for the category.
Tuning in
Every year, the entertaining speeches delivered by the night's host is one of the biggest attractions for Chinese film fans. However, with this year's Oscars going host-less, Chinese audiences had one less reason to tune in to the Oscar live stream.
One might think this meant that more time would be given to acceptance speeches, but according to a report from ABC News, the Oscar producers were still keeping these speeches confined to certain time limits, much to the disappointment of Chinese film lovers.
After the ceremony, Chinese netizens took to the internet to post their feelings about the new format. Although there was a small group that felt the lack of a host did not take away from the night, a majority spent their time reminiscing about their memories of previous hosts' performances.
"I really miss Ellen's speech at the 86th Oscars; it was really humorous and wise," Netizen Kopei Stack posted on Sina Weibo.
"Billy Crystal is my favorite. He was versatile and knowledgeable. There hasn't been another host like him. He captured your attention immediately," said netizen Lao Xu.
While watching the Oscars in China proved difficult in the past, the rise of the internet has made it easier than ever. Fans can watch the ceremony live through platforms such as Chinese movie website 1905.com or Chinese streaming platform Mango TV.
Both platforms broadcast in real time with the original sound accompanied by Chinese translation. To ensure the quality of the broadcast, 1905.com hired professional interpreters to provide simultaneous interpretation and also brought in well-known film critic Zhou Liming as a commentator.
"The cinematography is superb, and streaming in 1080p is also available. But I still miss the host… It's like missing a good talk show," Chinese netizen Zhuxiaojieshuo said.
Question of identity
While some of netizens were excited about the number of overseas Chinese filmmakers at the Oscars, there were also quite a lot netizens who believed that it wasn't worth getting worked up over.
"Those directors are Chinese-Americans, not us Chinese, please do not deceive yourselves," wrote netizen Tabuaiwo on Sina Weibo, in a post that attracted 2,319 likes but also a lot of criticism.
"Don't you think the point is that Chinese-Americans are promoting Chinese culture? This is a good thing. And their films are brilliant, why do you care about nationality?" netizen Little Earthworm posted in reply.
"Why you are so mean and narrow-minded? I believe many Chinese-Americans love Chinese culture more than many Chinese," posted Nuanwodexin.
"I think we should congratulate those directors. They are bridging the gap between Chinese and US culture. None of the keyboard warriors on Sina Weibo are able to do that," netizen Wang Yancang added.
Source: Global Times