Sometimes you have to believe in your dreams. And ever since she knew as a teenager that she wanted to make movies, Coralie Fargeat has been dreaming big. From the moment she wrote her second feature, The Substance, the story of a fading Hollywood star who, with the help of an elixir of youth, lives every other week with a body free of all imperfections, the French filmmaker imagined her film would be cut out for the Oscars. The fantasy came true on Thursday, January 23.

A rare feat for a work that leans toward body horror, The Substance received five nominations: Best Make-Up and Hairstyling, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Picture and, icing on the cake for Fargeat, Best Director. She is the only woman nominated in that last category. "It was an especially important place for me," confirmed the filmmaker, speaking to Le Monde on a phone call on February 25 from Los Angeles. "Because, while we're making progress toward greater gender equality, the figures are still tragic. For me, representation is a way of making others think that it's possible. I'm happy to be able to embody that at this time."

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