Get the latest gossip

Sean Baker’s Mother Disapproved of His ‘Anora’ Script: ‘People Don’t Want to See That’

Sean Baker explained why his mother disapproved of 'Anora' during the 2025 New York Film Critics Circle awards.

Baker said during the 2025 NYFCC ceremony that his mom disapproved of him writing a film from the perspective of an erotic dancer (Mikey Madison) who weds a Russian billionaire (Mark Eydelshteyn), only to have her dream life ruled as a sham marriage. Writer/director Baker has focused his career on telling the stories of sex workers, with previous films “Red Rocket” and “Tangerine” destigmatizing the industry. Baker said, “I’m encouraged to continue to write and make these films that will eventually receive scathing and demoralizing reviews from the one and only Richard Brody [from The New Yorker].

Get the Android app