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Oscars 2021: How Chloé Zhao created Fern, the main character in Nomadland

Film drama Nomadland has scooped three Oscars - including Best Director, which was won by Chloé Zhao, who made history as the first non-white woman and second woman overall to win the category.

The film was based on Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century, a non-fiction book by American journalist Jessica Bruder, about people who take to the road following the 2007-2009 recession.

Many real-life characters appeared in the film but the lead character, Fern, was a collaborative creation between Zhao and Frances McDormand, who played her.

Chloé Zhao spoke to ABC Radio National's Jason Di Rosso when she was originally nominated for the award.

Photo: Director/Producer Chloé Zhao, winner of the award for best picture for Nomadland, poses in the press room at the 93rd annual Academy Awards ceremony with her Oscar Credit: EPA

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