CANNES.- He film-maker American Sean Baker feared that Anora, his unbridled sex comedy that caused a sensation in the Dinner Festival of Cannes, It would be too controversial.
But the enthusiastic response to his movie about a sex worker who marries a millionaire reveals our endless fascination with the world’s oldest profession, he tells AFP.
“It’s nice and a little surprising, because it seems like it hasn’t been as divisive as I thought so far,” Baker told AFP. “We’re dealing with issues that are extremely controversial right now,” she reflects.
Anora tells the love story between a New York stripper and the young son of a Russian oligarch. They get married on a whim in Las Vegas, unleashing the fury of their families.
“We are all fascinated by the world of sex work,” explains Baker, who has tackled the subject in several previous films.
Partly, he says, this is because it’s right in front of us, whether we want to see it or not. “No joke, from my kitchen I can literally see the inside of a massage parlor,” Baker explains.
But the sex trade raises very diverse opinions. Many see it as exploitative, while others believe it can be liberating, Baker said. “You can explore it infinitely,” adds the director, who set himself the mission of showing flawed characters, dealing with the same mundane problems as everyone else.
“I can’t just do – and pardon my terminology – a ‘hooker with a heart of gold’ story,” she says.
“Loco”
Anora has received stellar reviews. Vanity Fair called it: “a wild and profane explosion.” It is one of 22 films in competition for the Palme d’Or, the Cannes Film Festival’s top award, which will be announced on Saturday.
Baker said it would be her dream for Mikey Madison, who plays sex worker Ani, to win best actress instead. Cannes typically only awards one award per film.
Madison, known for once upon a time in hollywood y Scream, He trained with a pole dance for three months and perfected a very particular New York accent.
An award at the world’s most famous film festival could help Anora to have a wider release in the United States than most independent films.
“The American public has been told ‘only come to the movies for the big blockbusters, you can watch everything else on Netflix’… It’s crazy!” says Baker.
Fortunately, “Anora” already has a prestigious American distributor, with independent studio Neon.
Neon has released each of the last four Palme d’Or winners.
‘The Three Stooges’
While addressing a similar theme to Baker’s previous films such as Tangerine y The Florida Project, Anora It is his most comical film yet.
When a trio of thugs arrive at the newlyweds’ home, the audience prepares for an explosion of mob-style violence.
But his clumsy ineptitude quickly leads to a situation like The Three Stooges, says Baker, alluding to a well-known trio of comedians from the golden age of Hollywood.
“I’m still trying to explore how far I can go with” comedy, explains the director. “It’s always a balance between comedy and pathos. Life is about that balance. So you have to deliver the laughter, until you deliver the tears,” he adds.
Source: AFP
