Indie filmmaker Sean Baker continues to impress, as his film Anora received a seven and a half-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival.
Led by Mikey Madison (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) in terms of the cast, the film follows 23-year-old stripper Anora (Madison), who works in a club in the vicinity of New York City. After a chance encounter with a Russian oligarch’s son, Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), the two decide to go on a bender in Vegas, which is rounded out by an impulsive marriage. However, the couple’s world comes crashing down when Vanya’s parents order their henchmen to track the duo down and annul the marriage.
Apart from Madison and Eydelshteyn, Yuriy Borisov, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, Ivy Wolk, Luna Sofia Miranda, and Alena Gurevich make up the cast, with Sean Baker taking up writing and direction duties. There has been speculation around the movie coming out some time in mid-2024 after it was confirmed in November 2023 that the movie will get a theatrical release in the U.S. after being acquired by Neon.
Anora continues the trend of Baker working on sex-worker-oriented films, with his last five releases shedding light on different forms of sex work in one way or another. The director recently spoke about his “introduction to the adult film world” and how it shaped him as a filmmaker:
“I became friends with [sex workers] and realized there were a million stories from that world. If there is one intention with all of these films, I would say it’s by telling human stories, by telling stories that are hopefully universal,” he said. “It’s helping remove the stigma that’s been applied to this livelihood, that’s always been applied to this livelihood.”
Variety/Ellise Shafer/Alex Ritman
Anora has generated significant buzz at Cannes and is one of the leading contenders to bag the Palm d’Or. If it manages to win the coveted prize, that will make it four wins in the last four years for Neon, following the path of Anatomy of a Fall, Triangle of Sadness, Titane, and Parasite.
