The return to dark theaters allowed for the viewing of this festival-beloved film, Oscar-winning in Los Angeles and Golden Lion in Venice, “Nomadland,” a gripping and emotional road trip exploring nomadic life, by Chinese-American director and screenwriter Chloé Zhao.
NOMADLAND aims to reflect a forgotten part of American society. This invisible part to those who see Uncle Sam as the land of dreams and glamour. A place where life is good.
After the economic collapse of the working-class town in Nevada where she lived, Fern decides to hit the road in her converted van and adopt the life of a modern-day nomad, breaking away from the standards of current society. From one encounter to another, Fern is reborn and begins her discovery of the vast stretches of the American West, amidst the most beautiful desert landscapes that Arizona and California have to offer.
Beneath its guise of a modern western, NOMADLAND sketches Fern’s second life. That of an isolated woman who prefers to remain alone rather than having to say “goodbye” to those she loves and will love. Perhaps this is the challenge of being a wanderer. The bravery and audacity to leave without possibly ever returning.
Frances McDormand’s extraordinary performance contributes greatly to this sentiment, through the strength she finds in her displayed vulnerability, and her unwavering conviction towards her decisions that may appear obscure to others.
Thus concluding with the most beautiful line of this road movie: “No, I am not homeless. I am… houseless.”
