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HOLLYWOOD : Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman in history to win the Oscar for best director here Sunday, claiming the coveted prize for her Iraq war drama "The Hurt Locker."
The 58-year-old film-maker - only the fourth woman ever to be nominated for the award - defeated ex-husband James Cameron to win the golden statuette at the Kodak Theater.
"It's the moment of a lifetime," a stunned Bigelow said as she accepted the award at the glittering Oscars' ceremony, and dedicated it to US troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Bigelow's win had been widely expected after she won the top honour at the Directors Guild of America Awards recently, regarded as a reliable indicator of likely Oscars success.
"The Hurt Locker" also scooped up five other awards Sunday including best picture and for journalist Mark Boal for best original screenplay.
"Well the time has come," screen legend Barbra Streisand said as she announced the winner, referring to Bigelow's historic shattering of the Oscars glass ceiling.
Bigelow, who has consistently played down the significance of her gender during the build-up to the Oscars, later said she hoped her win would inspire young film-makers.
"Well, I hope I'm the first of many, and I just like to just think of myself as a filmmaker," Bigelow said. "I long for the day that that modifier will be a moot point, and if there's a way I could inspire a young woman or male film-maker, I'd like to show them the impossible is possible."
Bigelow's ex-husband Cameron had been nominated for his science-fiction blockbuster "Avatar," the highest-grossing film in history with more than 2.5 billion dollars in earnings since its release last year.
Bigelow, who sat just a few feet from Cameron throughout Sunday's show, said her former spouse had been an "inspiration" through her career.
"I think Jim is very inspiring and I think he inspires filmmakers around the world and I think for all of them I could say, we're quite grateful," she said.
Other nominees in the category on Sunday included Quentin Tarantino for his bloody World War Two film "Inglourious Basterds," Jason Reitman for "Up In the Air" and Lee Daniels for "Precious."
- AFP/il
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