Somewhere at the end of last April, a film with a strange name “Everything and everywhere and at once” was released in our country, or, in other words, “All”, as the Greek distributor rather jokingly translated. Apart from industry professionals, at the time, few people paid any real attention to this: when the third wave of the pandemic was still fresh, Greek cinemas remained half empty, and no online platform was interested in immediately acquiring the rights to the film. Nearly a year later, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s daring fantasy adventure swept Oscar night, winning seven gold statuettes in major categories, including Best Picture. movie.

But how did an independent film from two relatively unknown directors with Asian or Asian protagonists become successful at the box office? America and finally leave great films in the dust Oscar ceremony; The answer is not entirely simple, but it lies in a number of important details and conditions that “All All” complies with to an impressive extent. For starters, it may indeed be an independent production, but that doesn’t mean it’s particularly cheap; in contrast, A24, arguably the most important American studio outside of the Hollywood system, gave the two Daniels about $25 million to implement. his vision of the “Matrix” of the 21st century.

It helped to “recruit” Michelle Geothe great stars of Asia – and not only – movieto play Evelyn, a middle-aged Chinese woman who struggles to keep her family’s laundry business afloat despite the terror of… the IRS while simultaneously facing her reactionary daughter. However, since this is not a social drama, but an allegorical extravaganza, these rather ordinary skirmishes take on the dimensions of a global war that unfolds in countless different dimensions. Money obviously helped bring the latter to life convincingly.

When Zuckerberg “threatens” a representative avatar in the digital world, the film responds with the most characteristic metanarrative.

But the main thing is the idea. In an age where the younger generation is cinematically addicted to their multiverse Marvel and the elders (while the tax authorities are chasing them) miss his philosophical action “Matrix», “Everything Everything” is an almost irresistible combination. At the same time, it retains a quirky humor that opens the door for a hipster audience more hesitant towards kick-ass. On top of that, when Mark Zuckerberg “threatens” to create a proxy avatar for all of us in the digital world, the film responds with the most distinctive meta-narrative we’ve ever seen. With the help of a strange device, a quiet housewife discovers her parallel personalities, from a famous opera diva to a fearless kung fu warrior.

And one more thing about race. In recent years, liberal America and Hollywood in particular have increasingly turned to Asian narratives and artists. We’ve seen this in the triumph of Bong Jun Ho’s Parasite, Chloe Zhao’s Land of the Nomads, and the unexpected success of Lee Isaac Chang’s Minari indie music. Recognition for these creators and actors who have been on the sidelines of awards for decades comes to correcting a typo, as it began to do around the beginning of the previous decade with their African-American counterparts.

Somehow, we have arrived at November 28, 2022, the date of the Gotham Awards, a very important microcosm of American pop culture. There, almost out of nowhere, “Everything” becomes the best film and the Oscar-winning fever begins. The awards of all significant Hollywood associations (directors, actors, producers) will gradually follow, where the film will win, although in more glamorous awards (Golden Globe, BAFTA) its performance is more moderate.

Sometimes, of course, luck should be on your side. On the Tuesday before the Oscars, star Michelle Yeoh makes a near-fatal mistake: she posts a Vogue article on social media that promotes her own nomination while undermining that of her main rival, Cate Blanchett. This is against the rules of the Academy, but on the same day, Oscar voting ends and the issue is silently ignored. Geo herself ends up with a golden figurine. And now the film is starting its second career in cinemas around the world, including in Greece, where it is shown again.