At the global premiere on August 30 at the Telluride Film Festival, Chinese-born director Chloé Zhao’s new film Hamnet sparked an enthusiastic response, quickly emerging as one of the leading contenders in this year’s Oscar race. Adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling novel, the film is produced by Steven Spielberg and Sam Mendes, distributed by Focus Features, and scheduled for a limited North American release beginning November 27. Centering on the Shakespeare family’s grief over the loss of a child, the 125-minute feature moved audiences to tears with Jessie Buckley’s powerful performance and Zhao’s delicate feminist perspective. Industry insiders predict the work could make Zhao the first director in film history to helm two Best Picture winners, further solidifying her status as a leading figure among a new generation of Chinese-born filmmakers.
Born in Beijing in 1982 as Zhao Tingting, Zhao grew up straddling Eastern and Western cultures, which shaped her distinctive creative outlook. As a teenager, she studied in the UK before moving to the United States, where she trained in filmmaking at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. This cross-cultural experience gave her a profound sensitivity to diverse perspectives and laid the foundation for the humanistic depth of her later works. Zhao made her debut in 2015 with Songs My Brothers Taught Me, an independent film set on a Native American reservation that revealed her attentiveness to marginalized communities. Her 2017 film The Rider, which cast a real-life cowboy to explore the psychological struggles following a devastating injury, won the Art Cinema Award in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight, cementing her reputation.
Zhao reached the pinnacle of her career in 2021 with Nomadland, adapted from Jessica Bruder’s nonfiction book about America’s van-dwellers. A profound meditation on solitude and freedom in the wake of economic collapse, the film swept the 93rd Academy Awards, winning Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress. Zhao became the first Asian woman and the first woman of color to win Best Director—an historic breakthrough that propelled her from the independent film circuit into the heart of Hollywood and introduced her to global audiences as a visionary talent.
Hamnet is Zhao’s latest achievement following Nomadland and Marvel’s Eternals. Told from the perspective of Shakespeare’s wife, Anne Hathaway, the film portrays the devastating impact of their son Hamnet’s death during a plague. Zhao brings a feminist lens to the story, imbuing Anne with complex, vivid emotions. Her restrained yet poetic visual language weaves together the rustic textures of 16th-century England with the weight of personal tragedy, creating a haunting cinematic aesthetic. Jessie Buckley’s performance has been hailed as the highlight of this year’s Telluride Festival, capturing Anne’s quiet endurance and eruptive grief with remarkable depth. With Spielberg’s heavyweight backing, critics note that the film’s excellence in cinematography, score, and production design makes it a formidable contender across multiple Oscar categories.
Zhao’s filmmaking is marked by authenticity and emotional resonance. She excels at uncovering universal feelings within marginalized stories and historical shadows—whether it’s Fern’s drifting solitude in Nomadland or Anne’s maternal grief in Hamnet. Her portrayals of women stand out, emphasizing resilience and complexity, while her use of natural light and real locations heightens a sense of immersion. Balancing artistry and accessibility, Zhao has carved a singular place in Hollywood.
As a representative of a new wave of Chinese-born directors, Zhao’s rise injects fresh energy into global cinema. Her success is not only a personal triumph but also an inspiration to women and minority filmmakers worldwide. From Beijing to Hollywood, Zhao has achieved in less than a decade what many directors spend a lifetime pursuing. Now, with the premiere of Hamnet, her next Oscar campaign has begun. If she secures Best Picture again, Zhao will make history as the first director ever to helm two winners of the Academy’s highest honor.
