Nomadland

film by Zhao [2020]

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July 22, 2026

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Nomadland is a 2020 American film directed by Chloë Zhao. It is based on Jessica Bruder's 2017 nonfiction book of the same name, which chronicles the lives of retirement-age Americans who travel the country in RVs, seeking low-paying jobs. The film stars Frances McDormand as Fern, a widow who takes to the road after her town's gypsum plant closes.

The film was widely praised for its honest and poetic portrayal of its subjects and won numerous awards, including the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director for Zhao. Many of the supporting roles were filled by actual nomads featured in Bruder's book.123

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Chloé Zhao
Nomadland
…collaborated with Zhao to produce Nomadland (2020), in which McDormand played the fictional character Fern, a widow who takes to the road after the gypsum plant where she works goes out of business. The other characters in the movie were the nomads featured in Bruder’s book. The beautifully honest and…
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…collaborated with Zhao to produce Nomadland (2020), in which McDormand played the fictional character Fern, a widow who takes to the road after the gypsum plant where she works goes out of business. The other characters in the movie were the nomads featured in Bruder’s book. The beautifully honest and…
Read More

Frances McDormand
…to the big screen with Nomadland (2020), in which she played a woman who, after losing her home, travels across the United States, looking for seasonal work. The drama was critically acclaimed, and McDormand received her third Academy Award for acting. She also won an Oscar as a producer of…
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…to the big screen with Nomadland (2020), in which she played a woman who, after losing her home, travels across the United States, looking for seasonal work. The drama was critically acclaimed, and McDormand received her third Academy Award for acting. She also won an Oscar as a producer of…
Read More