Sunday night’s Academy Awards was littered with political commentary, with Best Director winner Alejandro González Iñárritu no exception as he dedicated Birdman’s Best Picture win to his fellow Mexicans, “who live in Mexico.” Iñárritu’s comments echo prior statements made by last year’s Best Director and fellow Mexican, Alfonso Cuarón, slamming Mexican government officials over systematic corruption.
“I want to dedicate this award for my fellow Mexicans, the ones who live in Mexico. I pray that we can find and build government that we deserve,” Iñárritu said in response to Birdman’s win for Best Picture.
Iñárritu and Cuarón, along with director Guillermo del Toro, released an open letter last year that demanded answers in the deaths of 43 teachers and college students in Mexico. Del Toro read a portion of the statement that said, “The federal government argues that these events are all just local violence,” according to Variety. Del Toro followed with the response, “Not so.”
Del Torro said at the time, “We believe that these crimes are systemic and indicate a much greater evil — the blurred lines between organized crime and high-ranking officers in the Mexican government.”
One NBC News Latino article referred to Latino Oscar nominees Iñárritu, Alfonso Cuarón, and Guillermo del Toro as “best friends.”
In John Nolte’s closing thoughts on the night in the Breitbart News live-blog of the 2015 Oscars, he wrote, ““Birdman” director Inarritu did something tonight I don’t think I have ever heard anyone on the Left do: criticize the Mexican government for the conditions that create this immigration nightmare here in America. He called for a fairer and more decent government in… Mexico, and called America a “wonderful immigrant nation.” The media won’t give that much attention. It’s off-narrative. But it was still nice to hear someone speak that inconvenient truth.”
Iñárritu had opened his remarks by referencing last year’s Best Director winner Alfonso Cuarón, who won for the film Gravity. Iñárritu’s win marks the second year in a row a Mexican has secured the award. The awards have been criticized for a lack of diversity among award winners, an image the organization appeared to make a concerted effort to overcome during Sunday’s ceremony.
Follow Michelle Moons on Twitter @MichelleDiana
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