WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's comedy-drama "Birdman (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" emerged victorious at the 2015 Oscars ceremony, garnering four major awards, including best picture and best director for Inarritu.
The winner was announced at the 87th Academy Awards on February 22 in Hollywood's Dolby Theatre on Sunday night.
Riggan Thomson, also known as Birdman to the public, is a washed-up actor trying to revive his carrier by writing, directing and starring on Broadway.
The other nominees for Best Picture included "American Sniper," "Boyhood," "The Grand Budapest Hotel," "Selma," "The Imitation Game," "The Theory of Everything," and "Whiplash."
"Ego loves competition, because for someone to win, someone has to lose. But the paradox is that true art can't be compared, can't be labelled, can't be defeated. My work and the work of my fellow nominees will be judged only by time," Inarritu said when receiving the award.
Inarritu's "Birdman" also got two other top awards at the 2015 Oscars, including for Best Cinematography and for Best Original Screenplay.
British actor Eddie Redmayne was stunned to get the Best Actor Oscar award for his role in "The Theory of Everything." Redmayne portrayed prominent English theoretical physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking.
Redmayne beat strong contenders for Best Actor in a Leading Role, included Steve Carell, Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Keaton, and Bradley Cooper.
In the Best Foreign Language Film category, the Oscar went to Poland's "Ida," a tale of a nurse who discovers a dark family secret dating back to the years of the Nazi occupation.
The ceremony was hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, best known for his role in the "How I Met Your Mother" comedy series.
