According to The Hollywood Reporter, the presence of the Best Film Academy Award winner. CODA, cast last night at the 94th Oscars ceremony changed the way all guests and even viewers experienced the event. The film made history with its win last night, and the entire cast and its creative team helped spotlight American Sign Language and ASL interpretation in a series of historic moments for the deaf community in Hollywood and beyond.
The entire cast joined together on stage to close out the night with their win for Best Film, following their awards for Best Adapted Screenplay and Troy Kotsur’s award for Best Supporting Actor. They took center stage at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles where the audience signed their applause as they accepted the honor in ASL, with an ASL interpreter next to them.
Although this moment was one to remember, it was Troy Kotsur’s speech earlier in the night that moved the audience to tears. He began his speech by paying tribute to his father and a heartfelt acceptance of the award. This win for him marks the second time a deaf person has ever won an Oscar. The moment generated attention partly because Kostner’s interpreter, Justin Mauer got choked up while signing the actor’s speech and patted the Oscar winners back as they exited the stage.
CODA director and co-writer Sian Heder also centered ASL throughout the ceremony and brought an interpreter on stage to sign her speech, making it accessible to her entire cast. She accepted the honor of Best Adapted Screenplay. All deaf nominees and winners had their own interpreters with their own seats during the entirety of the show and the Academy accepted requests for those to use their own interpreters while they brought in some of their own, which were a part of the ceremony for Audible and Drive My Car throughout the ceremony.
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