Sean Baker’s Anora clinched the prestigious Palme d’Or, outshining fierce competition from Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light and Mohammed Rasoulof’s The Seed of the Sacred Fig , which secured the Grand Prix and Special Prix awards respectively. Accepting the award, Baker quipped on his long journey, saying, “This has literally been my singular goal as a filmmaker for the past 30 years. I’m not really sure what I’m going to do with my life now.
” Baker, a familiar face at Cannes, first made waves with The Florida Projec t in 2017, an exploration of a mother and daughter living on society’s margins. He returned in 2021 with Red Rocket , a gritty tale of a porn star returning to his Texas hometown. Director Sean Baker, Palme d’Or award winner for the film ‘Anora’, embraces Mikey Madison during the closing ceremony of the 77th Cannes Film Festival| Photo Credit:CLODAGH KILCOYNE With Anora , Baker continues to look at complex, marginalized characters, this time focusing on a 23-year-old stripper from New York City, portrayed by Mikey Madison.
The film’s cast also includes Mark Eydelshteyn, Yuriy Borisov, Karren Karagulian, and Vache Tovmasyan. The story follows Anora, whose life takes a dramatic turn after meeting Vanya, the son of a Russian oligarch. The film’s powerful storytelling and compelling performances earned it a 10-minute standing ovation at its premiere.
In his acceptance speech, Baker dedicated the award to sex workers, saying, “This.