Nomadland’s Chloé Zhao: from Beijing to the Golden Globes – meet the Chinese director of Marvel’s Eternals already being compared to Ang Lee

Mar 12, 2021

China-US director Chloe Zhao, who just became the first Asian woman to win a Golden Globe for best director for the film Nomadland, seen at the 41st Deauville American Film Festival in September 2015. Photo: EPA-EFE

Like Taiwanese director Ang Lee, she has won a Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival, attended New York University and balances blockbusters with artier fare

Her dad managed a Beijing steel factory and her stepmother is a famous comedian/actress, Song Dandan, often seen on the CCTV Spring Festival Gala

March began on a sweet note for Chloé Zhao when her movie Nomadland won the top prizes of both best drama film and best director at the 2021 Golden Globes Awards – making the Chinese filmmaker the second woman and first Asian woman to win the latter category. And more success seems likely to follow, with Nomadland already tipped as a front-runner for next month’s Oscars.

Chloé Zhao accepts the best director award for Nomadland at the 2021 Golden Globe Awards. Photo: handout

Zhao was already known for being the first Asian female director of a movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), with Eternals. Her Chinese background and journey to becoming an acclaimed independent film director makes the 38 year-old an inspiration to aspiring talents everywhere, so how did she do it?