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The British Academy Film Awards aired last night, with Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog winning Best Film and Campion being honored as Best Director.

While her latest project, which stars Anglo favorite Benedict Cumberbatch, is being praised by critics and viewers alike, she’s been making films since the 1980s.
Let’s take a look back at some of her earlier work, leading to now and what’s to come:

1. After Hours

Campion got her start making short films. She wrote and directed 1985’s After Hours, which revolves around a sexual harassment case. A young girl makes allegations against her employer, and she’s fired because of it. The investigation that follows works to distinguish what’s fantasy and what’s reality. 
In an interview with The Guardian, Campion talks about her early days, saying, “Filmmaking set me free. Before I found it, I had a lot of energy, but I was lost as to how to express it or even be in the world. I found the challenge of making a film so exciting, it was as if I had found myself.”

2. Sweetie

She made her directorial feature debut with 1989’s Sweetie. The story follows a young girl who daydreams about being an actor. But in her real life, she causes problems for those around her. She’s emotionally unstable, and as a result lashes out at family members, causing unrest.
At the time of release, Campion shared her thoughts about compassion with The Washington Post, saying, “I think all the characters have areas of sympathy, but the film isn't based on those concerns. I think everybody in the end, in life, is sympathetic. I've rarely met a person whom I don't feel for in some way or another, no matter how grotesquely they present themselves.”

3. An Angel at My Table

In 1990, Campion directed the film adaptation of Janet Frame’s memoir An Angel at My Table. Frame was misdiagnosed with schizophrenia at a young age. From there, she struggled with mental illness, poverty, and long-term hospitalization. Even so, she came out on the other end, to be a successful writer.
Campion talked about how she deals with constructive criticism during an interview with the L.A. Times, saying, "People, I guess are now saying, ‘It’s good to see you’ve improved your ways, that you’ve grown up and found your mature voice.' You can really see how mad it all is. If you run your life on those opinions, you’re really in trouble.”

4.  The Piano

Campion wrote and directed 1993’s The Piano, winning an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The story revolves around a Scottish woman (Holly Hunter) who is sold into marriage. She and her young daughter (Anna Paquin) travel to New Zealand, where she will meet her future husband.
Hunter’s character is mute, relying on a piano to express herself. Campion talked about the casting process with the late film critic Roger Ebert, saying, “Holly has a kind of interior world. Actually, not a big interior world, not like you'd say was a universe, but a very definite one. In this role, she has to communicate with her eyes, her empathy and her vulnerability."

5. The Portrait of a Lady

In 1996, Campion brought Henry James’ The Portrait of a Lady to the screen. We see Nicole Kidman as an American visiting her aunt and uncle in England. Following her uncle’s passing, she is bestowed a large financial inheritance. While an independent woman, she is pursued by multiple gentleman suitors.  
The adaption was met with mixed reactions, which Campion addressed in an interview with The Guardian, saying, “I really loved Portrait, even if it didn't satisfy people's expectations about what I should be doing. It's complex, because life isn't a career.” She points out that she has her own personal struggles and that plays a role in finding balance. 

6. Holy Smoke!

Campion teamed up with Kate Winslet for 1999’s Holy Smoke! Winslet portrays an Australian woman on holiday in India. There, she falls under the influence of a guru. Her parents trick her into returning home. She reluctantly agrees to meet with an expert (Harvey Keitel) in deprogramming cult members.
Campion co-wrote Holy Smoke! with her sister Anna. She talked to The Guardian about what keeps her motivated, saying, “I'm someone who loves to play. I make films so I can have fun with the characters."

7. In the Cut

In 2003, we saw Campion switch gears, basing In the Cut in NYC. The story centers on a writing teacher, portrayed by Meg Ryan. When there’s a string of murders in her neighborhood, she’s interviewed by a police officer (Mark Ruffalo). The two hit it off, meet up for a drink and things heat up from there.
In an interview with The Guaridan, she talks about the female perspective, saying, “I wanted to bring my interests and concerns into the cinema. Psychologically, women are forced to look at the world through men’s eyes. I wanted to put the other point of view: what it felt like to be a woman expressing yourself, being free, doing your human stuff in what is a pretty patriarchal society.”

8. Bright Star

In 2009, Campion directed Bright Star, starring Ben Whishaw as 19th-century poet John Keats. As the story unfolds, we see Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish) pursuing Keats. But her feelings go unreciprocated. While he shows no interest in her flirting, he agrees to give her poetry lessons.
Campion’s movies tend to lean toward sexy. She talks about her tactics in an interview with No Film School, saying, “It’s always difficult. But if you use everything you have that you’ve got, we are humans with bodies and figures, and we bring that to art.”

9. Top of the Lake

In 2013, we saw her bring her talents to TV, with Top of the Lake. The drama, based in New Zealand, revolves around a 12-year-old girl who is discovered to be pregnant. The girl has no recollection of how this happened. Elisabeth Moss portrays an investigator who specializes in crimes involving adolescents.  
Also in 2013, Campion joined the AMC Networks family with Top of the Lake premiering on SundanceTV. Campion made a cheeky remark about the changeup, saying in an interview with The Guardian, “The clever people used to do film. Now they do TV.”

10. The Power of the Dog

Campion’s The Power of the Dog premiered in 2021, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as rancher Phil Burbank. Phil and his brother George (Jesse Plemons) live an isolated life in Montana. That’s until George marries, and his new wife (Kirsten Dunst) and her son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) move in with them.
Campion wasn't able to make last night's BAFTAs, so Cumberbatch stepped in to accept her award. He read Campion's words on her behalf, saying, "I'm grateful to be working with people who had such love and passion for the story. And very grateful to Ben for your trust and Kodi's too, as well as, Kirsten's and Jesse's. A big open-hearted sandwich of thanks to you all." 
And, what’s next?
As of now, there’s no confirmation as to what Campion’s next project will be. But she’s quite busy with The Power of the Dog. Not just talking about it, but also enjoying the accomplishment of completing another film from start to finish. For that matter, she has been nominated for three Oscars at this year’s Academy Awards. So, she has that to attend to.
Are you going to go back and revisit some of Jane Campion's earlier work?