In a year defined by its embrace of diverse narratives, Indian-American filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir arrived at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday carrying a distinction no other woman in history has held.
As the first female director to be nominated for both Best Documentary Feature and Best Documentary Short in the same year, Gandbhir’s presence at the Dolby Theatre signaled a shift in the gravity of nonfiction cinema.
While the night ultimately saw the trophies go to other contenders, “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” for feature and “All the Empty Rooms” for short, Gandbhir remained the evening’s most visible link to the Indian diaspora.
Following the early exit of India’s official submission, “Homebound,” Gandbhir stood as the primary representative of South Asian storytelling excellence in the documentary categories.
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Her journey to this historic double-nod is rooted in a family legacy of migration and ambition. Born in Boston in 1970, Gandbhir is the daughter of Marathi speaking parents who moved to the United States in the 1960s. Her father, Sharad Gandbhir, immigrated to study chemical engineering, while her mother, Lalita, joined him shortly after.
This environment of rigorous education and civic consciousness shaped not only Geeta but also her siblings, her brother Ashwin is a fellow filmmaker, and her sister Una serves as a Superior Court judge in Alaska.
“I think for a lot of us who work in this field, the opportunity that the Oscars afford us is one to really elevate the issues,” Gandbhir said in a pre-ceremony interview with The Hollywood Reporter India. “It’s amazing to have that spotlight.”
That spotlight focused on two harrowing American realities. Her feature film, “The Perfect Neighbor,” currently streaming on Netflix, reconstructs the 2023 killing of Ajike “AJ” Owens in Florida, exploring the “weaponization of racism” and the implications of “stand your ground” laws.
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Her short film, “The Devil Is Busy,” co-directed with Christalyn Hampton, offers a visceral day-in-the-life look at an Atlanta reproductive healthcare clinic under siege by protesters.
Gandbhir’s technical precision was forged at Harvard University, where she studied visual art and animation. It was there she met legendary filmmaker Spike Lee, then a visiting professor, and his longtime editor Sam Pollard. These mentorships launched a career that has already garnered five Emmy Awards and a Peabody.
“My training ground was with Spike Lee,” Gandbhir told EE72. “He showed me that storytelling and politics aren’t separate things. Art is inherently political.”
Despite the lack of a win on Sunday, Gandbhir’s work remains a catalyst for conversation. By choosing to center her films on those often ignored by mainstream media, she continues a tradition of “useful” art, a value she says was instilled by her immigrant upbringing.
For Gandbhir, the historic nomination was never about the gold statue, but about ensuring the stories of those like AJ Owens are never forgotten.