Free Iran: Hopefully someone will make a film about Neda, the June election and Iran’s Green movement – a love story, tearjerker, political documentary all wrapped into one.

The film industry made history Sunday night when Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win a Best Director Oscar, for her work on “The Hurt Locker,” an Iraq War drama that also took the Best Picture prize and four other awards.

The tense story of Army bomb-disposal experts in Baghdad, made for a mere $11 million, upset the popular favorite, “Avatar,” a roughly $300 million sci-fi epic that was widely praised for its advances in 3-D technology and artistry. “Avatar,” the new all-time box-office champion, has sold $720 million in tickets in the United States. “The Hurt Locker,” though considered the most successful of Iraq-themed films to date, has drawn a mostly art-house audience, barely cracking $20 million worldwide.

“Avatar” once seemed untouchable for Hollywood’s top award. But in a move designed to bring in more viewers to the telecast, Motion Picture Academy brass doubled the Best Picture field to 10 nominees — and the complicated voting dynamics broke in favor of the smaller indie film.

Bigelow was only the fourth woman nominated for the prize. When the time came, the envelope was opened with dramatic flair by Barbra Streisand — herself the director of three feature films — who looked at the contents and announced, “The time has come.” Accepting the award, Bigelow called it “the moment of a lifetime.”