Premiere - Anora : A Modern Cinderella Tale with a Dark Twist Premieres at Paris Forum des Images

By Mulder, Paris, Forum des images, salle 500, 18 september 2024

Tonight, at the iconic Paris Forum des Images, the Allocine Club have hosted an exclusive private screening of Anora, a highly anticipated American comedy-drama that has already left a significant mark on the global film scene in 2024. Written, directed, and edited by Sean Baker, the film stars Mikey Madison in a captivating lead role as Ani, a young Brooklyn stripper whose life takes an unexpected turn when she falls in love with the son of a Russian oligarch.

Since its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2024, Anora has captured the attention of both critics and audiences alike. It won the prestigious Palme d’Or, the highest honor at Cannes, making it the first American film to receive the award since The Tree of Life in 2011. This achievement has set high expectations for the film’s worldwide release, and tonight, attendees will get a rare opportunity to experience the magic of Anora before it officially hits French cinemas on October 30, 2024, through Le Pacte distribution​.

The story of Anora follows Ani, a young Uzbek-American exotic dancer from the Russophone enclave of Brighton Beach in New York. Fluent in Russian, Ani is often paired with Russian-speaking clients at her club. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she meets Vanya, the son of a powerful Russian oligarch. What begins as a transactional relationship quickly blossoms into a whirlwind romance. The couple elopes, but their happiness is soon threatened when Vanya’s wealthy and controlling parents arrive in New York with one goal: to annul their son’s marriage and bring him back to Russia.

Set against the backdrop of 2018, Anora explores not only the chaotic world of New York’s strip clubs but also dives deep into the complexities of relationships, identity, and survival. Sean Baker, known for his ability to tell human stories that challenge societal stigmas, particularly around sex work, has once again created a film that strikes a chord with its raw emotional depth and unflinching look at modern life. In his own words, Baker aimed to "remove the stigma that’s always been applied to this livelihood," giving voice to characters like Ani, who are often sidelined or misrepresented in mainstream media​.

The film’s cast is another one of its standout features. Mikey Madison, best known for her roles in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Better Things, gives a transformative performance as Ani. Madison’s commitment to the role shines through in every scene, with Baker even noting how she helped shape the character during the film’s research and development phase. To prepare for the role, Mikey Madison spent time studying Russian, learning the nuances of Brighton Beach’s accent, and undergoing rigorous physical training to portray a credible pole dancer. She worked closely with consultants, visited strip clubs, and embraced the challenges of embodying a character with such complexity​.

Madison is joined by an equally impressive ensemble cast. Mark Eydelshteyn plays Vanya, Ani’s rich yet emotionally lost love interest, while Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian, and Vache Tovmasyan round out the cast as key supporting characters. Borisov, who gained international recognition for his role in Compartment No. 6, brings a quiet depth to his character Igor, while Karagulian, a frequent collaborator with Baker, plays the role of Toros, a man caught between loyalty and morality. Tovmasyan adds a layer of humor and heart as Garnick, a character whose earnestness often leads to chaos​.

The visual style of Anora is heavily influenced by 1970s cinema, with cinematographer Drew Daniels opting to shoot the film on 35mm using anamorphic lenses. This choice gives the film a distinct aesthetic, blending the gritty realism of New York City’s streets with the neon-lit glamour of strip clubs and the cold, brutalist architecture of oligarch wealth. The film’s locations, from the luxe clubs of Manhattan to the sprawling beaches of Brighton and even the glitz of Las Vegas, emphasize the contrasts between Ani’s working-class life and Vanya’s privileged world​.

The screening tonight will not only highlight Sean Baker’s visual and narrative mastery but will also serve as a reflection on the importance of empathy in storytelling. Anora is, at its core, a modern-day Cinderella story with a dark, satirical edge. While Ani initially sees her marriage to Vanya as a chance to escape her life, she soon realizes that even fairytales come with their own set of dangers and complications. The arrival of Vanya’s parents sets off a chain of events that plunges Ani into a world of deceit, violence, and emotional reckoning. What could have been a simple love story evolves into a thrilling, fast-paced journey through the streets of New York, with Baker infusing the film with moments of humor, drama, and unexpected tenderness​.

Following its success at Cannes, where it received a 10-minute standing ovation, Anora has continued to garner attention at prestigious film festivals around the world, including the Toronto International Film Festival, the New York Film Festival, and the Deauville American Film Festival. It has already been selected for competition at the Busan International Film Festival, and its release is highly anticipated across multiple countries. Neon will handle the North American distribution, while international rights have been acquired by various distributors, ensuring Anora reaches a global audience​.

Tonight's audience at the Forum des Images will be among the first in France to witness this cinematic achievement. As Sean Baker's latest work, Anora solidifies his reputation as a filmmaker unafraid to tackle difficult subjects with honesty and nuance. The combination of a compelling narrative, a talented cast, and stunning cinematography makes Anora a film that will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on its viewers.

For those who had attended tonight’s private screening, it was not just an opportunity to watch a film—it was a chance to be part of a moment in cinema history. As Anora prepares for its worldwide release, the excitement and conversation around this groundbreaking film will only continue to grow. The Allocine Club’s event tonight offers a unique and intimate setting to engage with a film that is already being hailed as one of 2024's finest.

You can discover our photos of this event in our Flickr page

Synopsis : 
Anora, a young Brooklyn stripper, is transformed into a modern-day Cinderella when she meets the son of a Russian oligarch. Without hesitation, she enthusiastically marries her Prince Charming, but when the news reaches Russia, the fairy tale is quickly threatened: the young man's parents leave for New York with the firm intention of having the marriage annulled...

Anora
Written and directed by Sean Baker
Produced by Alex Coco, Samantha Quan, Sean Baker
Starring Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, Aleksei Serebryakov
Cinematography : Drew Daniels
Edited by Sean Baker
Music by Matthew Hearon-Smith
Production companies : FilmNation Entertainment, Cre Film
Distributed by Neon (United States), Le Pacte (France)
Release dates : May 21, 2024 (Cannes), October 18, 2024 (United States), October 30, 2024 (France)
Running time : 139 minutes

Photos and video : Boris Colletier / Mulderville