Such is the indomitable spirit of L.A.
The city, and the very nature of its artistic industry, has always been about resurgence and resilience.
At no point inAnoradoes Madisons central character surrender her personal power.
Sean Baker and Mikey Madison
Red Rocketwas a reaction to my other films not taking off, Baker says.
I actually thoughtStarletwould finally open doors.
I thoughtTangerinewould open doors.
I thoughtThe Florida Projectespecially.
they dont want me, they dont want my films.
Im going to freaking make something insane next.
Thats what I thought I was doing withAnora, he says.
So thats why Im so pleasantly surprised that its being accepted now.
Anoracame to him installments.
It was afterRed Rocket, he recalls.
I think we were between projects.
We shot out in Coney Island in the winter, he says.
I was with my producer, Alex Coco, who happened to produce that fashion film.
So, both of us were there, and we said, We should make our next film here.
The germ of the actual story came around that same time.
So that was this idea that I really found fascinating.
I didnt want to tell a Russian gangster storybeen there and done that.
Oh, marrying into money.
And then what if this girl marries the son of a Russian oligarch?
And at that point, it became our little elevator pitch.
Thats all we needed to really get us moving.
Im from the tri-state area, says Baker.
Im from Jersey and from sort of theSopranosversion of Jersey, so I kind of know that world.
I always saw her as an independent girl whos streetwise, who knows how to handle herself.
We call them scrappers.
If they find themselves in a fight, they can hold their own.
And also, somebody who has a sense of humor, is funny.
But when Baker offered her the lead in his new movie, she thought he must be joking.
So, as though she were being Punkd, she called her agent.
Would they check with him,is it true?
Baker responded by personally sending Madison a voice memo.
Hes famous for sending voice memos, says Madison.
And he was like, Hey, so nice to meet you.
And also, just letting you know you 100% have the role.
The role is yours.
And above all, she was absolutely determined to create a respectful and authentic portrayal of sex work.
Madison got her own pole at home for dance practiceinstalled by her somewhat nonplussed, but very supportive father.
She learned to twerk, too, with the help of dance instructor Kennady Schneider.
She talks casually with coworkers and customers as she works the room.
Madison wore a wireless mic as the camera followed her, guerilla-style.
It absolutely had to feel both real and intrinsic and not at all voyeuristic or impressionistic.
The development of that level of authenticity in portraying Anis work at the club felt deeply essential to Madison.
It was the most important thing I did.
I dont know if there was much of describing who the character was, she says.
I think he trusted me to do that.
But all of everything else was left for me to create and build.
I wanted her to be a full-fledged, complicated person with vulnerability and layers.
And so, I think, we intuitively just knew that we would capture those things.
dramaThe Land of Sasha(2022).
The first time I met Sean Baker was via Zoom before my self-tapes, says Eydelshteyn.
I had a very short Zoom call with him.
Hes just living his life and thats it.
I said, O.K.
I will make a run at do something.
Then I did the self-tape, and then we talked about the script in general.
About the ideas of the script, about this character and his arc.
When he was asked to self-tape, Eydelshteyn was unaware of Bakers past.
And I said, Oh really?
Hes a genius, Im not.
What will I do?
But I just tried to have fun during doing self-tape, and during the whole process, honestly.
I think its a secret of any profession.
As Ivan, the weed-smoking heir to a Russian fortune, Eydelshteyn certainly has a lot of fun.
How did he channel that kind of reckless hedonism?
Im not this key in of person, he says.
I never had lots of money, and I never bought as much stuff as Ivan does.
And with Sean, I found the key.
I realized that Ivan is the opposite of me, totally the opposite.
Do it funny, do it very fast.
Do it very loud.
Karagulian has been there for Baker sinceTake Out.
And our mutual friend made a short with me in it, and Sean was producing it.
Since then, whenever he writes something, he writes a part for me.
And of course, aside from that, were also friends.
We know each other for many, many years.
Been in all his films.
I think this is our eighth or ninth project together.
Whats all the more impressive about this is that Karagulian never trained.
Im not a professional actor, he says.
I dont have an acting background.
Acting for me was always doing favors to my director friends.
Having seen Bakers process up close, Karagulian has a very clear idea of what the director does.
Then, I think he finds people that he loves for being people.
He made an actor out of me.
He made an actor out of a lot of other people.
He made producers out of people who are not educationally producers.
Hes a walking encyclopedia of film.
Head to toe, hes a moviemaker.
Hes a very special guy; hes a true artist.
Im so grateful that I have watched him throughout these years to mature from film to film.
And I see how he finds his mistakes, or if there are things that he can do better.
And from film to film, how he matures, he goes to another level, another level.
OnAnora, I wanted to ensure I could deliver 110% this time around, he continues.
We got very lucky and blessed.
Most importantly, we developed this camaraderie and love towards each other, this energy.
And were still friends.
We still all love each other.
And I think thats readable, when people watch the film, you’re able to see that.
They sent me a couple of scenes, and I did a self-tape, he recalls.
But before that, my agent explained that Sean Baker likes to see people more raw, more real.
Just be more of yourself and more real.
Once hed got the part, Tovmasyan got to work.
I was super impressed by Mikey, he says.
For the fight scenes, it was so easy.
So easy to act.
Because there was no acting, it was a real fight.
That was really a crazy ride.
Baker prepared his cast thoroughly for the fight scenes.
And hed be watching these very obscure foreign films.
And Im like, I wonder why he wants me to see this?
And I was like, Oh, I understand now.
One such film Baker suggested to Madison wasFemale Prisoner 701: Scorpion, starring cult film icon Meiko Kaji.
She also watched Maurice PialatsLouloufor Isabelle Hupperts performance.
Theres sort of a stillness.
But to me, I was like, Yes, I see that.
Yes, Im ready to do that.
Im willing to do that.
Madison didnt really know Borisov before going into this scene, she says.
And so, I was doing some emotional preparation.
Before wed start, I had to run upstairs and just get into a head space and run down.
And I was like, Well, I cant just snap into it and jump into the character.
He was trusting and we were really on the same page.
It was stressful to shoot, really exhausting, painful.
Madison did her own stunts throughout.
I had bruises covering my body.
The blood vessels were bursting in my eyes, she says.
My wrists were bruised from being tied.
It was a lot.
But I was welcoming that because it added something to the scene.
In the moment everything feels real.
Im running from Yura and fighting each other as hard as we possibly can.
So, theres going to be honesty on screen, and its temporary, all that.
Any discomfort is temporary, but the movie will be forever and the characters forever.
And so, Im willing to put myself in those positions to do her justice.
Shes a true fighter in every sense and so I had to fully go for all of it.
Borisov first met Baker in Cannes in 2021, at the premiere of his filmCompartment No.
6by Finnish director Juho Kuosmanen.
It was just a brief encounter, but Baker clearly saw something in Borisov.
A year later, he called him for the role of Igor.
Because its not so important why.
Its feelings, its not about words.
Borisov is straightforward and philosophical, too, about all the attention surrounding him now with this film.
Hes already a very well-known actor in Russia, but this was his first U.S. production.
Sometimes I feel that people want to see what they need, he says.
Honestly, Cannes is like a dream, remembers Eydelshteyn.
Everything is mixed up in my head already.
But I remember the moment when we were in the theater.
We were waiting for the movie to start, and it was my first time seeing it.
I sat beside Mikey and I was really scared.
She had already seen it.
It was very scary.
Maybe one of the most scariest moments in my life.
And she just cut me off and said, Mark, I promise you, everything will be O.K.
That was the feeling across the board that night.
Im not going to lie, says Karren Karagulian.
And that didnt stop for a very long time.
That felt very special to me also.
I can quit now.
I can actually die now.
I have done it all.
But for Karagulian there was an even bigger honor waiting down the line.
I didnt have Instagram before, I got Instagram after Cannesand I love it, by the way.
People are writing me from different parts of the world.
Armenians especially; theyre writing me saying, We are proud to be Armenian.
And these are young people.
That is so, so, so special for me.
Baker, however, was definitely more surprised than Karagulian.
Quite honestly, Idocare about how the film plays to a global audience, to the world cinema.
That means a lot to me.
But honestly, I never thought about the Palme dOr.
We were hoping wed play in Competitionthat was important.
I mean, that would make it to that level.
And the same thing goes for the Academy Awards and the Baftas.
What did he think would be divisive?
What did I think would be divisive?
Sex work, off-color language?
I always pushed against that, because its the characters saying this stuff, its based in real life.
Its based in reality.
It doesnt mean that the filmmakers are hateful.
It doesnt mean the film is hateful.
I think we forget that.
And that doesnt have to be directly insulting.
Time, he says.
Its just taking time, showing youre devoted, gaining the trust and making friends.
I just apply that to the way I approach subjects that Im covering.
But time is a big part of it.
I wouldnt be able to sleep at night if they didnt feel the representation was respectful and responsible.
That would really be hard for me to live with.
But our distributor,Neon, has been incredible.
Weve had sex-worker screenings on both coasts here in the States.
There has been some chatter about Madisons purported decision to eschew an intimacy coordinator for herself.
Just to be clear, I wasnt making the decision for the entire cast, she says.
I was asked if I personally would like one and I think that its a case-by-case basis.
It should be about comfortability if you feel safe.
Look, ultimately, I had a very positive experience making this film.
I am really grateful that I had this experience working with Sean and Sammy [Quan].
It was a very positive one for me.
She adds that the conversation around intimacy is not one she takes lightly at all.
I think its a very important, layered conversation…
The films success has brought with it a level of personal attention that puzzles Madison.
I dont fully understand the curiosity towards me, she says.
I think I understand the curiosity towards the character, and I dont know.
Im just the vessel for that… Im just one person.
A self-professed introvert, she finds her peace at home with her animals, just watching a movie.
Putting attention on something other than me.
How do I say this?
Im a little sick of talking about myself.
Do you know what I mean?
I feel embarrassed sometimes talking about myself.
Its clear that great relationships were built and good memories made on set, with a family-level closeness.
Borislov smiles broadly as he recalls their friendships.
It was like a summer camp or something, he says.
And all the people around you are changing because of you.
And its a very, very real process.
Borisov says, somewhat secretively, that there are lots and lots of stories.
However, last month, Madison hilariously revealed to Jimmy Fallon onThe Tonight Showthat she drove the boat herself.
Looking to the future now, Madison has her sights set on international film.
My dream is to work without borders in a way, she says.
I love her work.
Theres a project on the horizon already, but nothing she can name just yet.
Its something really special that I have my fingers crossed for, and Im really hopeful about.
I feel like withAnora, I pushed myself so far beyond anything Ive ever done before.
But will his job get harder now that more people know who he is and know his style?
Will he find it harder to get naturalistic performances from people?
Its funny, he says.
John Cusack did it wonderfully inBullets over Broadway.
Everybody does a good Woody Allen when theyre on a Woody Allen film.
They know to be abrasive, they know to be brash.
They know what I like.
Look at Lindsay Normington, who plays Diamond in the movie.
And I always tell my actors, we dont need to be too polished.
If were too polished, itll play against us.
We need the ums and the ahs and the stutters and everything like that.
So, I think my actors know that its O.K.
And translating that to shooting on location, does he ever worry about losing his anonymity?
Will it become impossible to shoot guerilla-style?
According to my line producer Olivia Kavanaugh, and Alex Coco and Samantha, yes.
Its become a slightly harder to shoot guerilla styleor at least we have more eyes on us.
Its harder to get away with it.
I think I may have to use pseudonyms now.
Yeah, it hasnt come to that yet.
Still, to stay completely under the radar has become a little more difficult.
Whatever comes next, how will it compare to what came before?
I think you might expect more of the comedy that you see inAnora, he says.
Im trying to go there.
But also, I think I do this to myself every time I attempt to do a movie.
Every film, I lose myself.
Every single film becomes an emotional, personal journey.
