At the end of the night last night, as Sean Baker lifted the Best Picture Oscar for AnoraAnora, making him the first person in history to win four Academy Awards for one movie, I sat there wondering how this little indie movie about a sex worker crushed the whole night. I was so incredibly happy for Baker and his team. I had no idea who he was until I saw Tangerine in 2016, an absolute vision of a film, shot on three iPhones, that felt so punk rock. Then came The Florida Project, which was a movie that moved everyone who gave it the time of day, and felt like it was maybe the best movie made about modern America in a generation. I could go title by title, but suffice it to say that Baker's movies have energy and they have a distinct buzz. But how did Anora get here? Let's dive in. Production: From Start to FinishBefore any of the accolades, the movie has to be made. Sean Baker and his wife, and producer, Samantha Quan, set out to make a movie inspired by stories Baker heard in the early 2000s about sex workers.But like many good stories, this took a long while to gestate in his mind. In February of 2023, principal photography began, and over a 37-day shoot, a movie began to form.I had to laugh when during Baker's editing acceptance speech, he lambasted himself as the director for inundating himself with all the footage, but...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Yesterday