On Monday, we reported about Autumn Durald Arkapaw becoming the first woman of colour to win a Best Cinematographer Oscar award for her work in Sinners. Recently, Arkapaw spoke about what it means to receive critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination for her work in the film, directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B Jordan in a dual role.
Speaking to BBC Woman's Hour, the Sinners cinematographer said, "Whenever a woman succeeds in an area that's mostly dominated by men, I think it sends a message. All the women know that there are many women out there doing that job, but the doors aren't always open for opportunities."
Speaking further about what her Oscar nomination signified, Arkapaw stated, "When this opportunity came up and I was nominated, I just wanted to make sure that I gave hope to all of them and say like: 'You know what? There can be change."
Autumn Durald Arkapaw added that when she did her research about cinematographers in cinema before her career started, she only found 'mostly men' but came across the work of Blow (2001) DOP Ellen Kuras. "She is a dear friend now. However, when I saw her name for the first time, I thought: Oh, well there's one, there can be more. And it really encouraged me."
The Sinners DOP also said that Kuras inspired her to pursue a career in this field. "I think for us, when you see one woman out there or you see yourself in somebody else, that is enough to give you the determination to succeed, even though you're in the minority."
Arkapaw won the Academy Award in a heavily competitive category, beating the likes of Dan Laustsen (Frankenstein), Darius Khondji (Marty Supreme), Michael Bauman (One Battle After Another), and Adolpho Veloso (Train Dreams).
