Anora, the Palme d’Or-winning tale of the love story between an Uzbek-American sex worker and the son of a Russian oligarch, has won five top Academy Awards, including the coveted Best Picture.
The dramedy follows Anora (Mikey Madison), a stripper whose boss often sets her up with Russian-speaking clients. One night, she meets Vanya (Mark Eidelstein), the wealthy young son of a Russian oligarch who pays to make her his girlfriend for the week. Unexpectedly, the two fall in love and elope — but the fairytale is threatened when Vanya’s parents find out.
Anora’s 25-year-old star, Mikey Madison, was named Best Actress, while the film also earned Best Director for Sean Baker and trophies for original screenplay and editing.
In his acceptance speech, Baker exhorted filmmakers to keep creating projects for the big screen, bemoaning the erosion of the theatregoing experience.
“In a time in which the world can feel very divided, this is more important than ever,” Baker said. “It’s a communal experience you simply don’t get at home. If we don’t reverse this trend, we’ll be losing a vital part of our culture. This is my battle cry.”
Anora was made for $6m, a tiny sum by Hollywood standards. It emerged as the winner in an unpredictable Oscars race that included papal thriller Conclave, Jewish immigrant story The Brutalist, and blockbuster musical Wicked.
