La La Land , Moonlight directors thought Oscars goof-up was a prank

Los Angeles March 2 (IANS) La La Land director Damien Chazelle and Moonlight helmer Barry Jenkins thought the goof-up that led to the wrong film being announced as the Best Picture at the 89th Academy Awards was a prank.

Actor-filmmaker Warren Beatty and actress Faye Dunaway presented the Best Picture award of the gala to La La Land instead of the real winner -- Moonlight at the award ceremony on February 26.

Everything looked so energised. I at first thought there was some kind of prank going on Chazelle told variety.com.

Jenkins said: It s messy but it s kind of gorgeous. You have these two groups of people who came together for a second. There s a picture with me hugging (‘La La Land producer) Jordan (Horowitz) and (‘Moonlight producer) Adele (Romanski) has her arm on his shoulder. That s what the moment was.

What was strange for Jenkins was that he quickly had to change his emotions and deliver an acceptance speech for an Oscar only minutes earlier.

I had something that I had prepared to say and that thing went completely out the window.

I ve been saying that (co-writer) Tarell (Alvin McCraney) and I are that kid in the film and that kid does not grow up to make a piece of art that gets eight Academy Award nominations Jenkins said.

It s a dream I never allowed myself to have. When we were sitting there and that dream of winning didn t come true I took it off the table. But then I had to very quickly get back into that place. And my first thought was to get to the stage to give Jordan a hug as quickly as possible he added.

The moment was handled gracefully.

It s weird to be friendly with someone but to feel like there s a mano-a-mano thing which I guess is the nature of the Oscars Chazelle said.

So it was nice to explode that myth a little bit on a big stage he added.

--IANS
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