The big winner at this year’s Academy Awards ended up being Anora, a small indie production that muscled its way to 5 Oscars, including Best Actress for Mikey Madison. With the other four wins, Sean Baker became the second person to win 4 Oscars in one night, joining the company of Walt Disney, and the first person to win 4 Oscars for the same movie.. Ever. Baker haul included trophies for Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Directing, and of course, Best Picture.
While Anora represents a huge breakthrough for Sean Baker, he has been building a resume as one of the most dedicated indie directors for decades now. His films tell gritty stories that often feature very small budgets and a lot of non-actors in major roles. This approach, plus experiments like shooting his film Tangerine on an iPhone, have kept Baker’s movies firmly tied to the reality of our world.
My personal favorite Baker movie is The Florida Project from 2017, which shows audiences the life of a six year-old girl living in a budget motel close to Disney World. Moonee watches, and even helps out, as her mother tries to scrape together enough money to keep them both alive. The film’s ultra-realism makes it a somber journey, but, like so much of Baker’s work, it tells an urgent, modern story that echoes the real experiences of people living in our country.
Sean Baker is a rare breed, an artist who could make the jump to bigger, more commercial work for an easier payday. And yet for years, he’s remained dedicated to keeping his independence as a filmmaker, and only telling exactly the kinds of stories he wants to tell. And now, with a record-setting Oscar haul behind him, the wait begins for whatever comes next from writer, director, editor, and do-it all filmmaker Sean Baker.
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