Taika Waititi has won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2020 Academy Awards. The Kiwi filmmaker's movie JoJo Rabbit is nominated six times.
The 'anti-hate satire' set in Nazi Germany was written by Waititi, based on a book his mother introduced him to, Christine Leunens' Caging Skies.
"This is really light," Taika marvelled about his Oscar trophy during his acceptance speech.
"This one's light, it's supposed to be heavy. I'd like to thank my mother, I don't know where you are mum, I lost you, hours ago," he said, eventually pointing her out in the crowd.
"Thank you for being my mother...for giving me the book that I adapted, this film wouldn't have existed without you doing that."
A nervous Waititi said there were many other people to thank, but that he couldn't remember all of them.
"This is for all the indigenous kids in the world who want to write, make art, dance...we can make it here, too!," he concluded, holding back tears.
"Kia ora!"
JoJo Rabbit also received nods for best Film Editing, Costume Design and Production Design, as well as best adapted screenplay and the prestigious Best Picture category.
Scarlett Johansson, who plays the lead character JoJo's mother, is nominated for best supporting actress. Johansson planted a congratulatory kiss on the Kiwi director as he took to the stage.
Waititi said he was "humbled" when he learned of JoJo Rabbit's six nominations, and thanked the Academy for "embracing the film's message".
Waititi played a self-described "weird version" of Hitler in the film, saying he didn't research the role and aimed for a purposely inauthentic portrayal in order to ridicule the Nazis.
"What better way to insult Hitler than having him portrayed by a Polynesian Jew?" he asked on Instagram last year.
