Chaos and confusion as ‘Moonlight’ wins Best Picture at Oscars

World Today

No Hollywood ending for the most nominated film of the year, “La La Land” all because of an unprecedented and bizarre twist at the very end of the 89th Academy Awards show.

CGTN’s May Lee reports on the shocking and dramatic ending to Hollywood’s biggest night.

Legendary actors Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway awarded the most coveted prize of best picture to “La La Land” but then – a stunning correction!

“There’s a mistake. ‘Moonlight,’ you guys won Best Picture. This is not a joke,” Jordan Horowitz producer of “La La Land” said.

A shell shocked cast and crew of “Moonlight” made their way to the stage to accept the golden statue

“Very clearly, even in my dreams this could not be true,” Barry Jenkins the director of “Moonlight” said. “But to hell with dreams because this is true!”

“Moonlight” walked away with two other Oscars including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Mahershala Ali. He is the first Muslim-American actor to win an Academy Award.

Ali was one of several nominees of color this year in contrast to the past two years of all white nominees which sparked the #OscarsSoWhite controversy.

Viola Davis won her first Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in “Fences.”

“I became an artist and thank God I did because we are the only profession that celebrates what it means to live a life,” Viola Davis said.

Politics took center stage at times throughout the show. A poignant moment came when the award for Best Foreign Language film was presented to “The Salesman” an Iranian film by director Askgar Farhadi.

Farhadi did not attend the Oscars in protest of U.S. President Donald Trump’s ban on travel to the United States from seven majority Muslim nations, including Iran.

“I’m sorry I’m not with you tonight,” Anousheh Ansari said while accepting the award on Farhadi’s behalf. “My absence is out of respect for the people of my country and those of other six nations whom have been disrespected by the inhumane law that bans entry of immigrants to the U.S.”

Although “La La Land” – which was nominated for 14 Academy Awards – didn’t go home with Best Picture, it did win six Oscars including Best Director, Damien Chazelle; Best Actress, Emma Stone; and Best Original Score.