On Monday, the 97th ceremony of the most prestigious film award, the “Oscar,” was held in Los Angeles, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
The best film, according to the United States (U.S.) Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, is the work “Anora” by U.S. director Sean Baker.
Out of 6 nominations, the film story about a sex worker from New York who marries the wayward son of a Russian oligarch won 5 Oscars: Best Original Screenplay, Editing, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Picture.
Director Sean Baker, who is at the same time a writer, editor, and producer of independent feature films that often portray the lives of marginalized people, said in his inspired speech that it is “necessary to tell stories that touch you.” He stated that the film “Anora” belongs to independent production, and was made with a budget of 6 million dollars and a crew of 40 people.
“We all fell in love with film in the cinema. In a divided world, the shared experience of watching films in cinemas is very important. Distributors, focus on theatrical distribution. We need to raise a new generation of cinema audiences,” said the award-winning director.
The recognition of “Anora” in the votes of Academy members only shows that the Oscars still reflect authorship and artistic magic. That story was perfectly complemented by the award for Mikey Madison for Best Actress. In “Anora,” she shines in the role of a talented and resourceful stripper-dancer, defeating her direct competitor Demi Moore from the satirical horror film “The Substance” and her striking role as a faded movie star facing the problem of aging.
The Oscar for Best Actor went to Adrien Brody, for his excellent characterization of the Hungarian-Jewish architect Laszlo Toth in Brady Corbet’s film “Brutalist.”
The Best International Film award went to “I’m Still Here,” a Brazilian drama by Walter Salles based on the true story of the Paiva family. In Rio in the 1970s, Rubens Paiva, a liberal former congressman, and activist opposing the military dictatorship in his country, becomes one of the many who disappeared when he is taken by the police and never seen again. In the following years and decades, his wife Eunice and their five children live with the consequences.
Kieran Culkin won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in Jesse Eisenberg’s film “A Real Pain.” Fully deserved, as he is captivated with excellent acting in a story about family, identity, history, and the neuroses of modern growing up.
The Oscar for Best Supporting Actress went to Zoe Saldana, for her role in Jacques Audiard’s film “Emilia Perez.” In the story about a Mexican drug lord who changes gender, Saldana played the lawyer Rita. Accepting her Oscar, the actress said: “Thank you to the Academy for recognizing the quiet heroism and power of a woman like Rita. I thank director Jacques Audiard for giving me the opportunity to act in this film. I am the proud child of immigrant parents. I am the first actress of Dominican descent to win an Oscar. I am grateful that I was able to sing and act in Spanish,” said the actress.
