Mudbound cinematographer Rachel Morrison made history on Tuesday as the first woman to be nominated in the category.
Morrison told the Hollywood Reporter that hopefully one day the nomination won’t be seen as so historic, and that involves more women working behind the camera: “Women are so qualified they should just go for it. It’s not just about cinematography, it’s about believing in yourself and that anything’s possible. I believe the job of the cinematographer is to visualize emotion—things we as women are inherently good at.”
Mudbound, Dee Rees’ exploration of the South post-World War II, was nominated for three other Oscars, including Mary J. Blige for best supporting actress. Rees is also actively getting more women behind the camera: Mudbound‘s below-the-line crew was all women. “I just go for who’s excellent,” she says in Netflix’s featurette.
Morrison worked on Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale Station and partnered with him again for the upcoming Black Panther.
