鈥淎nora鈥� producer Samantha Quan can鈥檛 help but get emotional when thinking about the film鈥檚 fairytale journey.
The Vancouver native calls the sex worker dramedy's rise as an Oscars front-runner 鈥渨onderful and discombobulating,鈥� especially given its modest $6 million budget.
The movie is up for best picture at Sunday鈥檚 awards show, and Quan quips its budget was 鈥渓ess than a lot of the catering budgets鈥� of its competitors.
鈥淚t can get a little overwhelming because what's happening now is even bigger than the dreams I ever imagined,鈥� she says, shedding tears while speaking recently from her L.A. home.
Quan, who is married to 鈥淎nora鈥� director Sean Baker, says she hasn鈥檛 had time to process the film鈥檚 awards season success. Earlier this month, it was named best picture at Critics Choice, Directors Guild of America, Producers Guild of America and Indie Spirit awards.
鈥淚 feel like a kid going to Disneyland and just being like, 'Oh my gosh. I can't believe I'm here. It's so shiny and crazy,'鈥� she says.
In some ways, the film鈥檚 ascent mirrors its own Cinderella story. It follows Mikey Madison鈥檚 Brooklyn stripper Anora, whose life takes a dramatic turn when she meets and hastily marries the reckless son of a Russian billionaire, Vanya, played by Mark Eydelshteyn.
鈥淲atching it, I do think deep down in our hearts, we all want to feel like our dreams can come true and fairytales can come true. That's the reason why we root for 'Anora,'鈥� says the 49-year-old Quan.
鈥淭he fact that she might have met her prince, I think it keeps us wanting that for her because we want that for all of us.鈥�
On Sunday, 鈥淎nora鈥� will compete for best picture against Quebec filmmaker Denis Villeneuve鈥檚 鈥淒une: Part Two,鈥� as well as 鈥淓milia P茅rez,鈥� 鈥淎 Complete Unknown,鈥� "Conclave,鈥� "Wicked,鈥� 鈥淭he Brutalist,鈥� 鈥淚鈥檓 Still Here,鈥� 鈥淭he Substance鈥� and 鈥淣ickel Boys.鈥�
The film is up for six Oscars in total, including best director and screenplay for Baker and best actress for Madison.
Quan met Baker at a gym class in L.A. and they started dating. At the time she was an established actor who had appeared in films like "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," and had roles in TV shows including CBS鈥� "Elementary" and 鈥淣CIS: Los Angeles."
鈥�(Sean) came up to me with a DVD and he said, 鈥業 went to this film festival and I saw this movie and I thought you might like it.鈥� I watched it and all I thought was, 鈥極h my gosh, why is it so grainy?鈥欌�� she recalls.
鈥淚t鈥檚 because it was an indie film. Little did I know that that would become the thing I loved the most.鈥�
Baker sought Quan鈥檚 help on a 2015 short film for fashion label Kenzo, but their first true cinematic collaboration began with the 2017 drama 鈥淭he Florida Project.鈥�
Inspired by the naturalistic performances in Korean dramedy 鈥淢iracle on 1st Street,鈥� Baker asked Quan to coach the young, inexperienced cast of the film, which follows the adventures of a six-year-old girl living with her unemployed single mother. Drawing from her experience as an acting teacher at a New York theatre school, she helped shape the performances.
Quan received an associate producer credit on that film and took on full producer duties for Baker鈥檚 2021 comedy 鈥淩ed Rocket,鈥� and then 鈥淎nora.鈥�
Baker鈥檚 interest in the lives of sex workers began with his 2012 drama "Starlet," set in the adult film world. Since then, he and Quan have gathered many firsthand stories from sex workers, noticing a theme that ultimately inspired "Anora": "There were a couple stories we'd heard about young women who married the wrong guy and had to somehow figure their way out of it."
They brought on Toronto writer Andrea Werhun, who penned a memoir about her time as an escort called "Modern Whore," as a chief consultant on the film.
Quan says she was involved in nearly every aspect of 鈥淎nora,鈥� from helping to conceive the story to casting to editing, where she鈥檇 be 鈥渟itting right behind Sean with our dog, looking at every shot and being an extra set of eyes.鈥�
鈥淎s an actor, I always felt like something was missing. I wanted to be more involved than, 鈥榊ou come in, you say your lines and then you go.鈥� I wanted to be a part of all of it. And the way that Sean works and the way we work together, I get to do that.鈥�
Quan says work-life balance can be challenging when working with your romantic partner.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e tempted to work all the time,鈥� she says.
But she thinks there鈥檚 a reason there are several couples behind this year鈥檚 Oscar-nominated films, including Villeneuve and Tanya Lapointe of 鈥淒une: Part Two鈥� and Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold of 鈥淭he Brutalist.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 because when you have a life like this, it鈥檚 your whole life,鈥� she says.
On top of that, you can be completely honest with one another, for better or worse.
鈥淲ith Sean and I, sometimes it may be difficult, but we know we always have each other's backs. I have no ulterior motive when it comes to him and the work. I want it to be great. I want him to be happy. I want the vision to be what he imagined it to be,鈥� she says.
鈥淎nd to be able to share that, it's a really lovely dream.鈥�
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 27, 2025.
Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press
