Critics have showered the film with praise, particularly for the performance of Vega, a transgender woman who appeared in just one film before A Fantastic Woman.
A Fantastic Woman has won the Oscar for best foreign language film at the 90th Academy Awards, edging out Ruben Östlund’s Swedish satire The Square and Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Russian fable Loveless.
A Fantastic Woman also took home honours on the festival circuit, winning a Silver Bear for best screenplay at the Berlin film festival. At Sunday’s ceremony, Vega became the first openly transgender person to present an award at the Oscars.
A Fantastic Woman follows Marina, a transgender woman played by Daniela Vega, who is in a relationship with Orlando, a man 30 years her senior.