British actor of Pakistani descent Riz Ahmed returned from Sunday night’s Academy Awards in Los Angeles with his first Oscar for the short film "The Long Goodbye" alongside the director Aneil Karia. The award also marks the first Oscar won by a Muslim actor in the category of live-action short films.
"The Long Goodbye,” directed by Karia, starring Ahmed and written by both, was nominated for best live-action short. According to an Associated Press (AP) article, the film is initially naturalistic, immersed in the pre-wedding preparations of a South Asian family in suburban England. The concerns are familiar. Where a chair should go. Who wrote "Blinded by the Light.”
But Ahmed’s character spies out the window unmarked vans of masked white militants arriving outside. Daily life is violently interrupted. They soon begin rounding up people and executing the men. The nightmarish scene culminates in a furious monologue performed while staggering down the street by Ahmed, quoting from his song, "Where You From” – a passionate testimony of cross-cultural identity. 13-minute-long "The Long Goodbye" tackles racism and hate crime in its themes.
While accepting his accolade at the Oscars, Ahmed said: "This is for everyone who feels like they don’t belong. Anyone who feels like they’re stuck in no man’s land. You’re not alone. We’ll meet you there. That’s where the future is. Peace.”
Ahmed was nominated for an Oscar last year for his role as a hearing-impaired drummer in the movie "Sound of Metal," becoming the first Muslim nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards.
At the 2017 Academy Awards, Mahershala Ali became the first Muslim actor to win an Oscar in the "Best Supporting Actor" category for his performance in the movie "Moonlight," and in 2019, he won the second award in the same category for his role in the movie "Green Book."
