‘Anora’ director Sean Baker aims to stay true to himself as awards season nears

By David Friend, The Canadian Press on October 21, 2024.

This image released by Neon shows Mark Eydelshteyn, left, and Mikey Madison in a scene from "Anora." THE CANADIAN PRESS/Neon via AP

TORONTO – Sean Baker has learned the perks of Oscar buzz, but the filmmaker says that’s not what keeps him motivated.

When his newest film “Anora” picked up the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, its positive reception quickly became a groundswell of awards speculation.

Could the rags-to-riches story of a Brooklyn stripper land a best picture nomination? Might show stealer Mikey Madison earn a spot in the best actress category?

The director took the attention in stride last month during a conversation at the Toronto International Film Festival, where buzz for “Anora” gathered further momentum ahead of the unofficial start of awards season in the fall.

“It’s not important for me,” Baker insisted when asked about the potential trophies for his film, which opens in Toronto and Montreal on Friday before a wider release in November.

“My actors are incredible in this film, so I’d love to see them recognized.”

The Academy Awards are familiar territory for the filmmaker, who’s been pushing the boundaries of independent cinema since his breakout 2015 dramedy “Tangerine,” the story of two transgender sex workers shot on an iPhone.

His 2017 film “The Florida Project,” filmed at a vibrant purple motel in the shadow of Disney World, secured actor Willem Dafoe his third career Oscar nod playing the cranky manager of the rundown property.

“Anora” finds Baker refining his intricate balance of comedy and tragedy with a punchy performance by Madison at its centre.

The actress plays the title character, a street-smart dancer at a Manhattan strip joint whose chance encounter with a client sparks her interest. Ivan is as immature as his young age, but his charms ultimately win her over. He also happens to be the son of a Russian oligarch.

The two hit it off almost instantly and soon run off to Las Vegas to tie the knot. But when Ivan’s family learns their son has married a sex worker, the newlyweds find themselves in an increasingly fraught scenario.

Some of the most intense and comedic scenes play out with Madison as the propulsive energy, which is one reason critics say her raw and razor-sharp portrayal might captivate awards voters.

Baker tracked down the actress shortly after seeing her turn in the most recent addition to the “Scream” franchise. He called her agent and arranged a meeting over coffee to pitch her the part, which called for a certain level of vulnerability since it required extensive sex scenes and nudity.

“It was the easiest decision I ever made,” Madison said of taking the role. “I was even worried that … it wouldn’t work out, or that he would change his mind.”

Asked how she feels now that her part is considered awards worthy, the actress hesitates.

“I don’t think anyone should make a movie thinking, ‘I want to win an award,'” she said.

“You should be thinking about if you love the story and the character.”

For Baker’s part, he faced some considerable hurdles on set.

“Anora” unfolds in a rapid-fire mixture of English and Russian dialogue, which presented Baker with a challenge because he only speaks one of the languages.

“The original screenplay was written in English and those dialogue scenes had to be translated (into Russian). Once they were, we couldn’t deviate that much,” he said.

“However, I always encourage improvision,” he added. “And some of the scenes had to be immediately translated (back) for me, so I understood.”

Those intricacies may go unnoticed by many viewers, but they could prove to be a winning part of the formula for awards voters. The Golden Globe nominations are announced Dec. 9 while the Oscar contenders will be revealed on Jan. 17, 2025.

No matter the outcome, Baker said he intends to keep his aspirations firmly in the world of small, independent films alongside his wife and producing partner Samantha Quan.

“Getting too big, you start to get seduced by the Hollywood system. And we’re very independent. We want to make these films outside that system,” he said.

“The Palme d’Or will allow me to keep making films on this level. And that’s where I’d like to stay.”

“Anora” opens in Toronto and Montreal on Oct. 25, expands to Vancouver Nov. 1, and screens countrywide on Nov. 8.