Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history at the Oscars on Sunday night by becoming the first woman to win Best Cinematography. The 46-year-old cinematographer, recognized for her work on Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners,' broke barriers in a category long dominated by men.
Key Takeaways
Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman to win an Oscar for Best Cinematography for her work on 'Sinners.' Her historic win highlights progress in a male-dominated field.
- Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history as the first woman to win Best Cinematography at the Oscars
- She is also the first Black person and first woman of color nominated in this category
- 'Sinners' director Ryan Coogler praised her for believing in his vision
- Arkapaw thanked women in the industry, emphasizing their support and inspiration
Arkapaw, whose credits include 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' and a Rihanna music video, delivered an emotional acceptance speech. She asked all the women in the audience to stand, saying, 'I don’t get here without you guys.' According to PBS, she also thanked her husband, parents, and young son Aidan, who was carried down the aisle for a closer view of her historic moment.
The win marks significant progress for women in cinematography. As reported by AP News, only three other women had been nominated before Arkapaw: Rachel Morrison for 'Mudbound' (2018), Ari Wegner for 'The Power of the Dog' (2022), and Mandy Walker for 'Elvis' (2023). She is also the first Black person to win in this category. In an interview with The Associated Press, Arkapaw reflected on her journey, stating that moments like these happen because of support from other women.
'Sinners' itself was already historic for women in cinematography. According to AP News, no woman had ever shot a movie on IMAX film before Arkapaw. She consulted with 'Oppenheimer' cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, who encouraged her not to worry about the equipment's limitations and shoot as she would any other camera. This advice led to innovative use of both IMAX film and Ultra Panavision 70 formats in 'Sinners.'
Arkapaw also shared one of her favorite scenes from 'Sinners,' which they initially weren’t going to shoot on IMAX due to its dialogue-heavy nature. However, Coogler’s boundary-pushing approach led them to use the format for a Western-style introduction scene featuring Jack O’Connell as an Irish vampire. Arkapaw praised Coogler's vision and their collaborative process.
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