The Oscars Evening is often long and uninteresting. Or she gets talked about for the wrong reasons, like last year when actor Will Smith slapped emcee Chris Rock. The 95e edition, presented on Sunday, was an exception by showing an image of diversity that took us off the beaten track.
Actor Ke Huy Quan – best supporting actor – has come a long way. He fled Vietnam as a child and lived for a year in a refugee camp. His joy was so contagious that even losers seemed happy for him.
Filmmaker Daniel Kwan – half of The Daniels, the duo awarded for the film Everything Everywhere All at Once – highlighted the sacrifices of his parents, immigrants from Hong Kong and Taiwan, who allowed him to realize his dreams. His sidekick Daniel Scheinert thanked his family for not having interfered with his creativity when, young, he dressed in drag which, he stressed, “was not a threat to anyone”.
And actress Michelle Yeoh, the first Asian to win the Best Actress Oscar, reminded kids like her that her award “was a beacon of hope and possibility”.
Yes, the Oscars are the showcase of an industry that runs on money and glitz. But on Sunday, there was genuine joy from the winners. Behind the triumphant smiles and tears of joy, one could guess the hard work and the many shattered glass ceilings. And it was joyful.