Who Is Sian Heder, Director Of Academy Award 2022 Best Picture Winner CODA?

Writer and filmmaker Sian Heder won the Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture award at the Oscar 2022 for her film CODA. The film is an adaptation of a French-language movie titled La Famille Belier, which follows the life of Rossis, a hearing-impaired blue-collar fishing family in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The film shows the life of Ruby, the only family member who can hear and also acts as its interpreter and what happens when she thinks of applying to a college.

Upon winning an Oscar for her work, Heder said, "I want to thank all of my collaborators in the deaf community and CODA community for being my teachers."

The film had a direct release on Apple Tv+. Actor Troy Kotsur, a hearing-impaired actor, who plays the role of Ruby's father Frank Rossi, won the Oscar in the Best Supporting Actor category for his performance in the film. Kotsur received a standing ovation from the attendees after he walked on the stage to receive his award.

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CODA captures Ruby's life in Gloucester, where she keeps busy helping her family in the fishing business aside from attending school. After the family's fishing business runs low because of rough weather, she goes through a period of self-discovery and is convinced by her teacher Bernando, played by Eugenio Derbez, to go to college at Berklee College of Music.

The Academy Award is yet another feather in her cap, as Heder also won BAFTA's Award for Best Adapted Screenplay too for CODA. She was also nominated for the Critic' Choice Movie Award in the same category.

Who is Sian Heder: Know Everything About Her

Born on June 23, 1977, in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the United States, Heder has done her graduation in theatre from the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama.

She has also worked as an Off-Broadway actor as well as in television and films. In 2005, she was one of the eight women to receive Directing Workshop for Women Grant and Fellowship at the Americal Film Insitute.

Her directorial debut was with a short film named Mother, which won the Cinefondation at the Cannes Film Festival, the Grand Jury Prize at the Florida Film Festival, amongst many other recognitions. The first feature film to be directed by Heder was Tallulah. In 2008, she was also one of the four writers to be chosen to participate in the Nantucket Screenwriters Colony.

Sian Heder is married to actor, producer and fine-art photographer David Newsom. Together, the couple has two children.

(Feature Image Credit: upi.com)