'Anora Writer-Director Sean Baker On Ani's Potential Happy Ending

"I think there is hope there. I think there maybe can be a happy ending."

Writer-director Sean Baker broke onto the filmmaking scene in 2000 with his debut feature Four Letter Words, but it was his one-two punch of universally acclaimed films Tangerine and The Florida Project that caused critics and audiences to stand at attention. When Oscar called for Willem Dafoe’s Supporting Actor nomination for The Florida Project, it opened the Academy’s eyes to Baker’s films and their authentic, lived-in worlds.

If The Florida Project opened the door to awards attention, then his latest film, the dark romantic comedy Anora, blows the door completely off its hinges.

Starring Mikey Madison in a brilliant, transformative performance, Anora introduces us to “Ani,” an exotic dancer / sex worker who attracts the lustful gaze of the wealthy, spoiled Vanya (Mark Eidelstein). As is his tradition, Baker peppered the roles with frequent collaborators, but after filming started, he knew this was something special.

“About a week into production, I was so impressed by my cast and what they were giving me for that first five days that I think on the fifth day, I said to Mikey, ‘Mikey, I think we’re making something very special here’,” Baker shared.

Anora is something special indeed. It builds on the Cinderella (or Pretty Woman) story with a mercifully frank and modern take. Madison’s “Ani” grows to be a character impossible not to love. And the collection of Baker’s players takes his fantastic screenplay and runs with the material, each delivering carefully calibrated, hilarious performances that never once feel inauthentic.

Here, in an podcast interview with The Contending, Sean Baker talks about creating Anora and working with Madison to fine tune the character. He talks about exploring the lives of real world sex workers. That research, something Baker considers “absolutely necessary,” reinforced the authenticity Baker typically offers with his projects. He also talks about the question of his story bringing a happy ending to Madison’s “Ani,” and how, despite a hopeful turn of events, things may not work out well for “Ani” in the end.

Anora opens in limited release on Friday, October 18.