In the bustling city of Los Angeles, a filmmaker’s vision sparked debate and innovation. Last autumn, Sean Baker, a prominent director, sat in a Manhattan eatery reflecting on a survey. This poll revealed that younger audiences, particularly Gen Z, were increasingly averse to explicit scenes in movies and television. This revelation left Baker contemplative about the evolution of storytelling in cinema. “It was disheartening to hear,” Baker expressed. “Violence seems widely accepted, but the depiction of sex, an integral part of human life, somehow faces resistance. Why is this aspect omitted from our narratives?” He recalled his determination on set to challenge these findings.
When Baker’s film “Anora” clinched five awards at the 97th Academy Awards, including the coveted Best Picture, it symbolized a shift in cinematic recognition. “Anora” tells the story of an erotic dancer, portrayed by Mikey Madison—who also nabbed the award for Best Actress—marrying into Russian aristocracy. The film’s explicit content marked a stark contrast to previous Best Picture winners like “The King’s Speech” and “Driving Miss Daisy.” Traditionally, the Academy hasn’t highlighted films centered on a woman’s sexual autonomy.
Yet, “Anora” was not just distinctive for its subject matter. Produced with a budget of $6 million and distributed by the indie film company Neon, its creation was largely independent of mainstream film industry norms. If anything, it was more akin to movies celebrated at the Cannes Film Festival, where it had already won the prestigious Palme d’Or. This esteemed accolade, Baker claimed, resonated deeply with him. Recently, there has been a noticeable convergence in the world of cinema. In the last few years, several Palme d’Or winners have been shortlisted for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, including “Parasite,” another successful Neon release, which made history as the first non-English film to capture Hollywood’s top honor.
“Anora,” which reinvents the Hollywood fairy tale prototype like that seen in “Pretty Woman,” stands alongside other groundbreaking films that triumphed at the recent Oscars, defining modern cinema with pride and authenticity. Amidst a dominant culture of sequels and franchises, “Anora” was commended for its genuine reflection of storytelling. Despite its modern edge, the movie also retains classic elements. Baker, an admirer of cinema from the ‘70s, has vowed to keep theatrical releases alive during a ceremony humorously referred to as the “97th Longform Content Awards” by host Conan O’Brien. From the stage at the Dolby Theatre, Baker passionately advocated for traditional film viewing:
“Filmmakers, continue crafting stories for the silver screen. I plan to do so,” he said. “It’s crucial for distributors to prioritize theatrical releases. Introduce young audiences to movie theaters, nurturing the next wave of cinema enthusiasts and creators. Let’s preserve the cherished tradition of cinema-going.”
The victory of “Anora” underscored a triumph for independent filmmaking, an ongoing battle that has seen films like “The Hurt Locker” and “Moonlight” emerge victorious over bigger-budget rivals like “Avatar” and “La La Land.” The prior year’s selection of “Oppenheimer” is one of the few anomalies in a recent streak of smaller productions emerging as winners. The 2023 Best Picture winner, “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” was far from conventional Oscar material, with its eccentric and bold narrative. What set this year apart was that the fiercest competition for “Anora” came from intimate productions like “Conclave” and “The Brutalist,” not big studio ventures like “Wicked” or “Dune: Part Two.”
This shift toward independent filmmaking has been gradually unfolding, but the 97th Academy Awards underscored its maturity. In animation, where “The Wild Robot” from Universal and DreamWorks was expected to triumph, the real surprise was “Flow,” a dialogue-free Latvian film crafted with open-source software. Director Gints Zilbalodis, beaming backstage, remarked, “Young creators now have the tools to produce films that can achieve these accolades.” These wins, “Anora” included, highlight the growing influence of the Academy’s international voters. In an effort to diversify, the Academy expanded its membership, inviting a significant number of international members. These new voters naturally tend to give preference to the cinematic artistry that flourishes at festivals like Cannes and Venice.
The implications for the Oscars are evident. As the awards increasingly celebrate indie and arthouse films, this could alienate mainstream audiences. With only $16 million in domestic box office receipts, “Anora” stands among the lowest-grossing Best Picture winners. In contrast, Oscar producers worked hard to feature more prominent films during the ceremony, opening with grandiose performances by “Wicked” stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo and frequently cutting to a mascot from “Dune: Part Two.” Even a James Bond nod was included, albeit at a transitional moment for the franchise, now helmed by Amazon MGM Studios after decades of stewardship by the Broccoli family.
While such a focus might distance some audiences, it could also inspire a new generation of filmmakers. “Anora,” a rich tapestry of genres from screwball farce to poignant drama, illustrates the potential of cinematic evolution. Its mix of comedy and societal reflection, culminating in a memorable climax, positions it as a timeless classic. The full impact of Baker’s success is yet to unfold. However, not long after the Oscars concluded, a genuine tremor of 3.9 magnitude was registered in Burbank, echoing the symbolic seismic shift ushered in by “Anora.”
