Yesterday, the 98th Oscars took place and 46-year-old American cinematographer (DoP) Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman and woman of color in history to win the Oscar for cinematography. Yet few people are talking about it.
To this day, the profession of cinematography still reflects structures shaped by a traditionally male-dominated group. Achievements like Arkapaw’s push old boundaries and create space for further recognition in the future. In doing so, she opens up not only the possibility of simply “seeing,” but also the dimension of “being seen,” encouraging other women. As one comment reads: “Congratulations Autumn, I don’t know you personally but you are so inspiring. Thank you for your dedication, the long nights, the moments no one sees. Now we all see you!”
At the end of her acceptance speech, she asks all the women in the room to stand up. She says she feels she would never have reached this point without every single one of them. A wave of applause fills the room, saying more than words sometimes can.
Only eight days after International Women’s Day on March 8, the Oscar becomes part of the ongoing history of the women’s movement. This day draws global attention to gender equality. It celebrates the achievements of the women’s movement, while also highlighting the inequalities that still remain and encouraging continued commitment to true equality until justice is achieved.
Arkapaw was born in California in December 1979. Her roots trace back to the Philippines and to Afro-American Creole culture. From an early age she felt a deep passion for art.
She later recalled being inspired by the visual style of the renowned cinematographers Gordon Willis and Michael Chapman, which led her to look more closely at the profession of cinematography. One thing immediately stood out to her: in the credits of the films she admired, a woman was never listed as the cinematographer. Then, while watching her favorite film Blow (2001), something changed. She discovered the Oscar-nominated cinematographer Ellen Kuras. At that moment she knew that this was what she wanted to do in the future. With her historic win, Arkapaw symbolically closes the circle of her journey and enters film history.
The camera becomes her personal canvas, allowing her to shape light, characters, and every detail with great care. The distinct quality of her work becomes visible through the deliberate use of striking angles and atmospheric lighting.
She does not shy away from any challenge in the industry and ultimately succeeds in revealing to the audience the full spectrum of the surrounding reality. Through the closeness to reality that she creates, viewers experience a subtle sense of longing for an idealized past, reviving familiar memories and momentarily loosening them from the firmness of the present.