Nomadland (film)

In 2011, Fern loses her job after the US Gypsum plant in Empire, Nevada shuts down; she worked there for years along with her husband who recently died. Fern decides to sell most of her belongings and purchase a van to live in and travel the country searching for work. She takes a seasonal job at an Amazon fulfillment center through the winter.

A friend and co-worker named Linda invites Fern to visit a desert winter gathering in Arizona organized by Bob Wells, which provides a support system and community for fellow nomads. Fern initially declines the offer, but changes her mind as the weather turns south and she struggles to find work in the area. At the gathering, Fern meets fellow nomads and learns basic survival and self-sufficiency skills for the road.

Some time later, Fern's van blows a tire; she visits the van of a nearby nomad named Swankie to ask for a ride into town to buy a spare. Swankie chastises Fern for not being prepared, and invites her to learn more road survival skills, during which time they become good friends. Swankie tells Fern about her cancer diagnosis and shortened life expectancy, and her plan to make good memories on the road rather than waste away in a hospital. They eventually part ways.

Fern later takes a job as a camp host at an RV park. There she runs into David, another nomad she met and danced with back at the desert community. She cares for David when he falls ill, accompanying him to the hospital for an emergency surgery. The two of them later take hourly jobs at a local restaurant. One night David's adult son visits the restaurant looking for him, informing David that his wife is pregnant and asking him to come meet his grandchild. David is hesitant, but Fern encourages him to go. David asks her to come with him, but she declines.

Fern takes a new job at the beet harvest, but her van breaks down and she can't afford the repairs. After calling friends to ask to borrow money, she visits her sister and her husband at their home. Her sister loans her the money, but questions why Fern was never around in their life and why Fern stayed in Empire after her husband passed away. Fern later goes to visit David and his son's family; she learns that David has decided to stay with them long-term. He offers her a room to stay in permanently, but she decides to leave after only a few days.

Fern returns to her seasonal Amazon job, and later revisits the Arizona commune. There she learns that Swankie has died, and she and the other nomads pay tribute to her life. Fern later opens up with Bob about her relationship with her husband, and Bob shares the story of his adult son's recent suicide. Bob expresses love for the fact that goodbyes are not final in the nomad community, as they always promise to see each other again down the road.

Some time later, Fern returns to the abandoned town of Empire to visit the factory and the home she shared with her husband before hitting the road again.

Frances McDormand and producer Peter Spears optioned the film rights to the book in 2017. After seeing Chloé Zhao's film The Rider at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival, McDormand decided to approach Zhao about the project. She and Spears met with Zhao at the 33rd Independent Spirit Awards in March 2018, and Zhao agreed to write and direct the film.[4]

Filming for Nomadland took place over four months in fall 2018, with writer-director Zhao splitting time between set and pre-production for Eternals (2021). McDormand, Zhao, and other crew members lived out of vans over the course of production.[5] David Strathairn, and real-life nomads Linda May, Charlene Swankie, and Bob Wells, also star. McDormand, Peter Spears, Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey, and Zhao produced the film.[6]

Searchlight Pictures acquired the world wide distribution rights for Nomadland in February 2019.[7] The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 11, 2020, and screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on the same day.[8] At Venice, the film won several awards, including the festival's top honor, the Golden Lion.[9][10] At Toronto, the film won the People's Choice Award.[11] It was the first film ever to win the top prize at both Venice and Toronto.[12]

The film has also been screened at several international film festivals, including: Chicago,[13] Coronado,[14] Ghent,[15] Hamburg,[16] Hamptons,[17] Helsinki,[18] London,[19] Lumière (in Lyon),[20] Middleburg,[21] Mill Valley,[22] Montclair,[23] New York,[24] Reykjavik,[25] San Diego,[26] San Sebastian,[27] Telluride,[28] Zurich,[29] Taipei[30] and Saint Petersburg.[31]

In association with Searchlight, Film at Lincoln Center held exclusive virtual screenings of the film for one week only beginning on December 4, 2020, the film's initial release date before Searchlight delayed it to February 19, 2021, due to concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic.[32][33] It was released in IMAX theaters on January 29, 2021, with a plan for theatrical and drive-in release in the United States on February 19, and on Hulu the same day.[34] A two-week preview season in certain regions of Australia and New Zealand began on December 26, 2020, before a wider release planned for March 4, 2021.[35]

• Nomadland at IMDb