Overview
The film tells the story of Anora "Ani" Mikheeva, a young stripper from Brighton Beach, a Russian-speaking neighborhood in Brooklyn. As Ani is the only Russian-speaking stripper in her Manhattan strip club, her boss introduces her to Ivan "Vanya" Zakharov, the immature son of a rich Russian oligarch. Vanya hires Ani for sexual encounters, falls in love and pays her 15,000 dollars to play his girlfriend for a week, which leads to a turbulent romance. They marry in Las Vegas, but Vanya's domineering mother, Galina, is furious and wants to annul the marriage. A serious conflict ensues...
Cast
Videos for Anora
Background
Anora” is a romantic dramedy directed and scripted by Sean Baker. Mikey Madison plays the lead role of Anora (“Ani”). The film premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it was awarded the Palme d'Or. It later went on to win five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress.
Filming took place over two months in both Las Vegas and New York. According to Baker, “Anora” is his biggest film production to date. Thematically, the film ties in with Baker's previous works, whereby he turns to protagonists from wealthy backgrounds for the first time and deals with the topic of sex work. In connection with the film, Baker criticized society's double standards with regard to sex. Cinematographer Drew Daniels based the filming on the cinema aesthetics of the 1970s.
The film received 3.3 out of 4 stars in Screen International's international critics' review. On Metacritic, “Anora” achieved a rating of 91 out of a possible 100 points, signaling unanimous approval.