Kiwis were glued to their TVs as Anna Paquin became the first New Zealander to win an Oscar for acting when she was given the award for best supporting actress for her role as Flora McGrath in the acclaimed historical drama, The piano.
The 11-year-old was the second youngest recipient of this award in Oscar history. Jane Campion, who directed the film, made it a Kiwi double by winning the award for best original screenplay. The American actress Holly Hunter won the best actress Oscar for her portrayal of Ada McGrath, Flora’s mother.
The film also shared the 1993 Palme d’Or (Golden Palm) award, and Hunter won the best actress award at the Cannes Film Festival.
See the trailer and excerpts from the movie via NZ On Screen - not for the young or squeamish:
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How to cite this page
'Kiwis win Oscars for 'The piano'', URL: http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/kiwis-anna-paquin-and-jane-campion-win-oscars-for-em-the-piano-em, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 23-Sep-2016
