Jane Campion wins best director Oscar for 'The Power of the Dog'
Los Angeles, Mar 28: Jane Campion smashed records and the glass ceiling as she earned the best director Academy Award for her psychological drama Western "The Power of the Dog".
This is her first Oscar win in the category. She also became the first woman to have been nominated twice in the best directing category and the only the third woman after Chloe Zhao's win last year for "Nomadland" and Kathryn Bigelow's win for "Hurt Locker" in 2010.
Set in the director's native New Zealand, "The Power of the Dog" is a character study of toxic masculinity and repressed sexuality.
The acclaimed Netflix film stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Kirsten Dunst, and Jesse Plemons.
After she gave a shout-out to her fellow nominees, Campion talked about her love for directing and creating a world with a team of storytellers.
"I love directing because it's a deep dive into the story. Yet the task of manifesting a world can be overwhelming. The sweet thing is, I'm not alone. On 'The Power of The Dog', I worked with actors I moved to call my friends. They met the challenge of this story with the depth of their gifts -- Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Jesse Plemons and my whole crew who are true hearts," she said in her acceptance speech.
The 67-year-old filmmaker, also known for directing the movies "An Angel at My Table", "Holy Smoke!", and co-creating the TV series "Top of the Lake", expressed gratitude to the film's producers and streamer Netflix for supporting the film.
"I thank my brilliant producers. Tanya Seghatchian, who's always by my side. Emile Sherman, Iain Canning and Roger Frappier. Netflix, your whole awesome team embraced this film from the very beginning. Thank you so very much," she said.
Campion further thanked her family and her "home people".
"Especially Alice, my daughter here. Tony, my beautiful partner. You gave me so much love and encouragement and made it fun," she added.
Campion won her first Academy Award back in 1994 for "The Piano", also based in New Zealand, in the best original screenplay category, where she also received a directing nod.
She won the Silver Lion for best direction at the 78th Venice International Film Festival for the film, which is based on the 1967 novel of the same name by Thomas Savage.
The director paid tributes to author Savage, who she said she never met.
"He wrote about cruelty, wanting the opposite, kindness. Thank you Academy. It's a lifetime honour," she added.
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8 children between ages of 1 and 14 dead after mass shooting in Louisiana, police say
Shreveport(US) (AP): A gunman in Louisiana killed eight children in shootings at two different homes early Sunday in the nation's deadliest mass shooting in more than two years, police in Shreveport said.
The victims ranged in age from one to about 14 years old, said Shreveport police spokesperson Chris Bordelon. A total of 10 were shot and some of the children were related to the suspect, Bordelon said.
The gunman later died after a chase with officers who fired at the suspect, Bordelon said. The suspect stole a car while leaving the scene of the shootings and was followed by police, according to Bordelon.
Police did not release the name of the suspect but did say he was an adult male. The shootings were the result of a “domestic disturbance,” Bordelon said.
Officials said they were still gathering details at the crime scenes south of downtown Shreveport — the two homes and a third location.
“This is an extensive scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen,” he said.
It was the deadliest mass shooting in the US since eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb in January 2024, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
At a news conference outside the residence where one of the shootings occurred, officials appeared stunned, requesting patience and prayers from the community as they sorted through multiple crime scenes.
“I just don't know what to say, my heart is just taken aback,” Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. “I cannot begin to imagine how such an event could occur.”
“This is a tragic situation — maybe the worst tragic situation we've ever had,” said Tom Arceneaux, mayor of the city in northwestern Louisiana with about 180,000 residents. “It's a terrible morning.”
Louisiana State Police say their detectives have been asked by Shreveport police to investigate. In a statement, state police say no officers were harmed in the shooting that involved an officer after a police pursuit into Bossier City on Sunday morning.
State police are asking anyone with pictures, video or information to share it with state police detectives.
Louisiana Gov Jeff Landry said in a statement that he and his wife were heartbroken. “We're deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers and first responders working tirelessly on the scene,” he added.
