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Today, NEON released a video showcasing filmmaker Sean Baker‘s three decade journey to his Academy Award nominated Anora. The movie is up for six Oscars, including Best Picture, as well as Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Baker himself. You can see Baker in conversation with our own Joey Magidson here, as well as Joey’s rave review of the film here.
The press release says the following:
SEAN BAKER’S 30-YEAR CAREER IS A TESTAMENT TO HIS COMMITMENT TO INDEPENDENT CINEMA AND HIS ABILITY TO HUMANIZE THE OVERLOOKED CORNERS OF AMERICAN LIFE. HE BEGAN HIS FEATURE FILM CAREER WITH TAKE OUT (2004), A RAW, VÉRITÉ-STYLE DRAMA ABOUT AN UNDOCUMENTED CHINESE IMMIGRANT NAVIGATING A GRUELING DAY AS A DELIVERY WORKER. THE FILM SET THE TONE FOR BAKER’S FUTURE WORK-INTIMATE, CHARACTER-DRIVEN STORIES.
WITH PRINCE OF BROADWAY (2008) AND STARLET (2012), BAKER CONTINUED TO HONE HIS NATURALISTIC STYLE, OFTEN WORKING WITH NON-PROFESSIONAL ACTORS TO BRING AUTHENTICITY TO HIS STORIES. HE FOLLOWED WITH TANGERINE (2015), A GROUNDBREAKING FILM SHOT ENTIRELY ON AN IPHONE THAT PUT BAKER ON THE MAP.
THE FLORIDA PROJECT (2017) EARNED HIM WIDESPREAD CRITICAL ACCLAIM. THROUGH THE LENS OF A SIX-YEAR-OLD GIRL LIVING IN A MOTEL NEAR DISNEY WORLD, BAKER CAPTURED THE JOY AND STRUGGLE OF AMERICA’S HIDDEN HOMELESS. RED ROCKET (2021) CONTINUED HIS EXPLORATION OF AMERICAN SUBCULTURES, THIS TIME FOLLOWING A WASHED-UP ADULT FILM STAR
RETURNING TO HIS TEXAS HOMETOWN.ALL OF THIS LED TO ANORA (2024), BAKER’S MOST AMBITIOUS WORK YET. CHRONICLING THE WHIRLWIND ROMANCE BETWEEN A BROOKLYN SEX WORKER AND THE SON OF A RUSSIAN OLIGARCH, THE FILM EARNED BAKER THE PALME D’OR-SOLIDIFYING HIS PLACE AS ONE OF THE MOST VITAL FILMMAKERS OF HIS GENERATION. HIS JOURNEY FROM MICRO-BUDGET GUERRILLA FILMMAKING TO THE TOP OF THE CINEMATIC WORLD IS A TRIUMPH OF VISION, PERSISTENCE, AND AN UNWAVERING DEDICATION TO TELLING THE STORIES OF THOSE OFTEN LEFT IN THE MARGINS.
Here is the video, chronicling Baker’s journey to Anora. Enjoy:
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