Washington was an entire country away. At the Academy Awards on Sunday, there were relatively few references to politics.
The most direct commentary on President Trump and the upheaval in the capital was an oblique reference by the host of the telecast, Conan O’Brien. “You know, ‘Anora’ is having a good night,” O’Brien said, referring to the Oscar-winning film about a sex worker’s short-lived romance with the son of a Russian oligarch. One of the movie’s emotional high points is when its working-class protagonist, played by Mikey Madison, dresses down the powerful family. “I guess Americans are excited to see somebody finally stand up to a powerful Russian,” O’Brien said.
‘Slava Ukraine’
The comment was the closest he got to uttering the name of Trump, whose administration has been dealing with the fallout from his public blowup in the Oval Office with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The dispute involved Trump scolding Zelensky for his harsh words for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Aside from alluding to the country’s “divisive politics,” O’Brien also kept Washington at arm’s length during his opening monologue, in which he kept the focus on Hollywood. Daryl Hannah was more direct as she presented the best editing category. “Slava Ukraine,” she said, before moving on to the award at hand.
Proud immigrant
In accepting the award for best supporting actress, Zoe Saldana hinted at Trump’s immigration crackdown. “I am a proud child of immigrant parents with dreams and dignity and hardworking hands,” she said.
Palestinians in focus
The most political moment of the telecast, by far, was the award for best documentary feature, which went to “No Other Land”, an exploration of the Israeli demolitions of Palestinian homes in the southern West Bank. During his acceptance speech, Basel Adra, a Palestinian activist and one of the filmmakers, called “on the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people.” Yuval Abraham, an Israeli journalist who directed the film with Adra, said he believed there was a political solution to the conflict that includes national rights “for both of our people.” “And I have to say, the foreign policy in this country is helping to block this path,” he said.
Trump act loses
Oscars were latest to largely steer clear from politics. Presenters and winners at the Golden Globes too avoided the subject. A reference to the president during Oscars was perhaps most likely in the best actor category, in which Sebastian Stan was nominated for his portrayal of Trump in “The Apprentice.” Instead, the award went to Adrien Brody for “The Brutalist”.
