Natalie Portman’s Oscar Outfit Included A ‘Subtle’ Tribute To This Year’s Snubbed Female Directors

Two years ago, Natalie Portman threw down a savage introduction for the Best Director Golden Globe category. She caught everyone (including co-presenter Ron Howard) off guard by declaring, “And here are all the male nominees!” Well, Portman’s keeping that spirit alive during Sunday night’s Oscars ceremony. She’s not alone.

After Issa Rae also called attention to this year’s lack of female directors in their category, Portman (who will soon play Mighty Thor in the MCU) doubled down on the sentiment. She used her Dior outfit to spread the message on a cape that’s embroidered with the surnames of the outstanding female filmmakers who got snubbed, including Greta Gerwig for Little Women. The LA Times‘ Amy Kaufman tweeted a video of Natalie explaining her rationale. “I wanted to recognize the women who were not recognized for their incredible work this year in my …. subtle way,” she explained.

— Amy Kaufman (@AmyKinLA) February 10, 2020

“Subtle”! That’s her word, not ours.

Other female directors who were considered to be snubbed this year include Melina Matsoukas (Queen & Slim), Marielle Heller (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood), Lorene Scarfaria (Hustlers), Alma Har’l (Honey Boy), and Lulu Wang (The Farewell). This year’s actual crop of nominees include Martin Scorsese (The Irishman), Todd Phillips (Joker), Sam Mendes (1917), Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), and Bong Joon Ho (Parasite).

Please follow along with the rest of our Oscars coverage as the night continues.