Some like to argue the superficiality of race in film and media, but it goes much deeper than just movies. Films are not simply entertainment, but a reflection of a reality or a perspective, diffused to a large audience. They can therefore affect the public perception of anyone featured in the film, which can also influence the way the public will treat these people in real life. This is especially true if the audience has never had a real-world experience with the type of individual in the film, and what they see on the screen is their sole impression. However, the image shown to the audience could be wildly different than the actual people the film is representing. By including more people of colour in the Oscars, filmmakers of diverse ethnic backgrounds will gain more opportunities in the industry to act in or direct their own films. In this way, filmmakers can ultimately decide how they wish to be perceived, as the directors of not only their films but of real-life narratives of their demographic as well.
Many also argue that inclusion and diversity impedes an objective evaluation of whether a film is good. I've seen comments under news articles about the Oscars along the lines of: "A film shouldn't be good solely because of the background or identity of the people in it, but good because it's simply a good film". However, I argue that pursuing diversity actually helps to give a comprehensive judgment of a film. The Academy is made up of professionals in the film industry who vote for the Oscar nominations and nominees. According to a study by the Los Angeles Times in 2012, 76% of Academy members were men, 94% were white, and their average age was 63 years old. With fewer people of various ages, ethnicities, experiences, and backgrounds in the Academy, many good films by underrepresented groups have gone under the radar. For example, the South Korean thriller Decision to Leave was snubbed this year, despite its roaring success at the Cannes film festival, and The Woman King starring Viola Davis was also snubbed, to much outrage.
The Silver Lining: Everything Everywhere All at Once
In recent years though, the Academy has grown to include many more members of various ethnicities and genders. By having these people in the key decision-making process of the Oscars, a greater wealth of good films can reach the public eye. This year's Oscars was particularly notable for the amount of Asian representation. Michelle Yeoh was nominated for Best Actress for her performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once, only the second Asian woman to be nominated for the award in the Oscars’ 93-year history. Meanwhile, Yeoh's co-star Ke Huy Quan has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor. As for the film itself, Everything Everywhere All at Once is co-directed by Daniel Kwan, an Asian man, and is nominated for Best Picture.
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