The new Academy requirements

With the outburst of protest spawning all over the U.S, the impact of their demands has also reached the filmmaking industry, making its' way into de heart of the Academy. A few weeks back, The Academy announced a new set of "diversity" requirements for films running for the best picture nomination. Even though the details are still being discussed behind the scenes, these new requirements will take inspiration form those applied to the BAFTA (British Academy Film Awards) back in 2019. I emphatically support the idea of turning Hollywood into a more diverse and professional environment, where people can truly inspire and produce amazing art for us, the viewers, to enjoy and wonder upon. With that being said, I believe these regulations are dangerous; diversity shouldn't be imposed, it should be encouraged. Who am I to deny an award to an "all-black-cast" for their amazing performance? Who am I to deny an award to an "all-white-cast" for their incredible set design? People work hard to make these films, to marvel us with their craft and meticulous work, therefore I consider that classifying them simply by the color of their skin, by their sexuality or by their political beliefs is criminal. We are all people and we all deserve the same set of opportunities based on our merits and accomplishments, independently from our physical attributes.

My sole intention through this essay is not to discourage the Academy, I believe that some diversity regulations should be implemented, but to recommend the institution to do so without hurting the heart of the art itself; meritocracy, talent, and equality should prevail above all. To end, I would like to quote Trevor Noah, TV host from The Daily Show: “Black people are looking for equality, not charity. They’re not asking people to ‘hire black people’ just because they’re black, they’re asking companies to stop not hiring black people just because they’re black.".