Cannes 2024: Sean Baker’s ‘Anora’ nabs the Palme d’Or
Having established himself as one of the most original and exciting voices in the American cinematic landscape, Sean Baker finally has a Palme d’Or to his name. His latest feature, Anora, nabbed the top prize at this year’s edition of the Cannes Film Festival.
As the creative visionary behind gems like The Florida Project and Red Rocket, Baker has repeatedly demonstrated that he has exactly what it takes to cut through to the soul of modern America. Anora is yet another example of this incredible ability he possesses.
While accepting the award, the director revealed that he still “couldn’t believe it” and that the Palme d’Or has been “my singular goal as a filmmaker for the past 30 years.”
Starring Mikey Madison as a young sex worker from Brighton Beach, Anora is a characteristically fascinating comedy-drama that follows the protagonist as she finds herself romantically involved with the son of a Russian oligarch.
During the press coverage of Baker’s victory, the filmmaker also used the opportunity to comment on the state of theatres and theatrical releases that are unable to survive in the streaming era.
Baker said: “You see theatres closing every day, unfortunately. I follow a Twitter feed about theatres closing. I grew up going to movies. I grew up going to theatres, that’s where I want my movies shown as a filmmaker.”
The Tangerine director added: “[It’s] very discouraging when I see this… It’s very scary.”
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