Photo: Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP
In 2015, legendary filmmaker Spike Lee accepted an honorary Oscar for his groundbreaking body of work. However, over the course of his 30-year career, he has never received an Oscar nod in the competitive category of Best Director- until now.
This makes Lee only the sixth Black filmmaker to earn a Best Director nomination in the Oscar’s 91-year-history. Following John Singleton (‘Boyz N the Hood’), Lee Daniels (‘Precious’) , Steve McQueen (’12 Years a Slave’), Barry Jenkins (‘Moonlight’), and Jordan Peele (‘Get Out’), Lee earned the long overdue nod for ‘BlacKkKlansman’.
Based on a true story, ‘BlacKkKlansman’ told the story of an African American police officer who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan in the 1970s. While it was based on real life events that took place over 40 years ago, the film also managed to connect the dots to present day America.
The film received a total of six nods with the other five nominations being for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Film Editing and Adam Driver for Best Supporting Actor.
Lee, who has been nominated twice before, received his first Oscar nod for Best Original Screenplay for his classic 1989 joint ‘Do the Right Thing’, and his second one in 1998 for Best Documentary Feature for ‘4 Little Girls.’
Congratulations Spike Lee or should we say, BOOM SHAKALAKA and that’s the TRUTH, Ruth!