Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma took home the best international film award at the 2019 Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday.
Roma, representing Mexico, beat out fellow Oscar contender The Favourite (U.K.), as well as South Korea’s Burning, Italy’s Happy as Lazzaro and Japan’s Shoplifters.
“I’m optimistic right that it seems that we’re in a moment in which a greater diversity’s happening in cinema,” said Cuaron upon accepting the award.
“I think that this greater diversity will very soon make the category irrelevant,” Cuaron said, met with applause from the audience at the 34th Annual Film Independent Spirit Awards.
The Mexican writer-director also used his speech to thank the film’s actresses Yalitza Aparicio and Marina de Tavira.
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The Netflix film, inspired by the writer-director’s childhood in 1970s Mexico City, received critical acclaim as well as 10 Oscar nominations, tying with The Favourite for most nominations this year.
Actress Aubrey Plaza hosted the 2019 Spirit Awards, televised live on IFC from a tent on the beach in Santa Monica.
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