Anora: Mikey Madison boosts Oscar prospects at London Film Festival

Like several of Baker’s previous films, Anora highlights and explores the lives of sex workers.

While developing the movie, the director consulted current and former real-life sex workers, including Andrea Werhun, who wrote a memoir in 2018 about her experiences.

Baker told Indiewire:, external “I think no matter what subject matter you’re tackling, if you’re not a part of that world or a part of that community, it’s vital to have consultants, who have that life experience, on board and make sure that you’re representing [it] in an accurate way, a responsible way, a respectful way.”

At a launch event in London earlier this week,, external Madison said Werhun’s memoir “really spoke to me… I was really intrigued and obsessed with her writing”.

She also discussed other ways she prepared for the role, explaining: “I went to New York early, about a month early, so that I could live in Brighton Beach and immerse myself more in that neighbourhood. Also, so that I could fine-tune the accent.”