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Saoirse Ronan and Florence Pugh are disappointed about their Little Women director Greta Gerwig being snubbed by the Academy Awards.
The period drama, adapted from Louisa May Alcott's classic novel, scooped six Oscar nominations on Monday, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design, Best Original Score, Best Actress for Ronan, and Best Supporting Actress for Pugh.
While the actresses were thrilled with their nominations, they were shocked to learn Gerwig hadn't been recognised for Best Director, a category which compromised of all-male nominees.
Ronan told Deadline she was "scratching (her) head a bit" over the filmmaker's surprising exclusion.
"I'm really happy that the Academy recognised her for Adapted Screenplay and Picture, and I feel like if you've been nominated for Best Picture, you have essentially been nominated for Best Director," the 25-year-old said in a statement. "But to me, Greta, since she started, has made two perfect films, and I hope when she makes her next perfect movie, she gets recognised for everything, because I think she's one of the most important filmmakers of our time."
British star Pugh, who earned her first-ever Oscar nomination for playing spoiled sister Amy March, said Greta's absence was a "big blow".
"Especially because she created a film that is so her and so unique and it's just come out of her, and it's been a story she's wanted to do for so long," she shared. "I think everybody's angry and quite rightly so. I can't believe it's happened again, but I don't really know how to solve it. I don't know what the answer is, other than we're talking about it."
She added that the snub highlights the importance of the story in Little Women.
"Greta made a film about women and their relationship with money, and their relationship with men in a man’s working world. And it’s just highlighting the point. It’s just completely underlining how important this film is, and how the themes are still apparent now," she said.