Besides the incredible storytelling and the powerhouse acting in Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” there is something absolutely unmistakable about the film—its breathtaking imagery. Have you found yourself completely lost in the moody, atmospheric, textured world on screen? Well, would you be shocked to learn that the visionary brain behind those frames is a woman who just made history? The 98th Academy Awards gave us many memorable moments, but the announcement for Best Cinematography felt truly seismic. When Autumn Durald Arkapaw took to the stage to accept her Oscar for Sinners, it marked the first time in nearly a century of Oscar history that a woman has taken home the “Golden Man” in this category. For an industry that has long been a “boys’ club” behind the lens, her victory feels like a long-overdue shift in the atmosphere. Autumn’s win is a massive cultural milestone. As a woman of African American Creole and Filipino descent, she is officially the first woman of colour to win this award. Her journey is deeply personal; while filming in the South, she felt a profound connection to her father’s roots in New Orleans and Mississippi, while her mother’s Filipino heritage—and her grandfather’s legacy as a WWII veteran—remains a constant source of strength. During her speech, she created one of the night’s most powerful images by asking all the women in the room to stand and share the moment with her. Her words to the next generation were particularly moving: “To all the young girls who think the camera is too heavy for them—it’s not. It’s exactly where you belong,” she said. She later added in interviews, “I want all the girls who look up who shot this film to be inspired to think big. Your time finds you, not the other way around.” She also shared a heartfelt moment for her frequent collaborator, Ryan Coogler, saying, “Ryan, thank you for seeing the world through my eyes and for trusting me to capture the soul of this story. We didn’t just make a movie; we made history.” The win was part of a hugely successful night for “Sinners,” which entered the evening with a record-breaking 16 nominations. By the end of the ceremony, the film walked away with four major Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan, Best Original Screenplay for Ryan Coogler, and Best Original Score for Ludwig Göransson. It’s a fitting capstone for a film that has already picked up over 200 awards throughout this season. If you are curious to know more about the woman who is currently redefining the visual language of Hollywood, here are five things you should know about Autumn Durald Arkapaw: