Director Sean Baker Explains How Anora Is Linked To A Lesbian Vampire Film [Exclusive Interview]

So many of your films involve characters who are either sex workers themselves or thinking of becoming one. You yourself have publicly advocated for the de-stigmatization and decriminalization of sex work. While making “Anora,” was there anything new that you discovered about sex workers and their world? Do you think things have improved or gotten worse there, or stayed the same? Where do you think that is in terms of our society right now?

There’ve been slight improvements. I mean, the very fact that now we’re using a new term. “Sex work” is basically something that’s come about in the last few years. I mean, before that, we would use terms like “prostitution” and others, but this blanket umbrella term I think really helps in many ways. 

And then also, to answer your question about what I’ve learned, every film that I’ve covered on sex work is like a different aspect of sex work. So in this case, this lap dance club, was very foreign to me and I had to learn the mechanics of that world. That particular club allowed us to spend time there. We would spend time there with Mikey many a night just observing, watching, and then she was actually shadowing some of the dancers to really understand the interactions with clients and how everyone is different. Each one is different.

These young women in that situation, in that world, it’s hard work. It’s really hard work. They have to approach one of the men at the club or have the men approach them and within seconds, read that person and figure out what they have to do almost on a psychological level to put that person at ease and then try to make some money from that person. It all has to happen in seconds.

So in many ways, I think a lot of these young dancers working in an environment like that are psychiatrists, psychologists, to a certain degree.

In that same vein, what in your view do you think would help Hollywood stop being unfortunately so bad at tackling stories from stigmatized groups like sex workers, but also trans folks, those in poverty, disabled, etc.?

I think it’s really just about approaching the representation in a more respectful way. And what I mean by that is, let’s stop with the caricatures, number one. Let’s use, meaning employ, sex workers as consultants. It’s their stories, it’s their voice. You need to have them involved when you’re doing this sort of thing. And then lastly, these characters should be human. They should be three-dimensional, fully fleshed out, so that the audience can connect and identify and root for [them]. What that means is a fully fleshed out human that isn’t sanctified, isn’t put on a pedestal. They have flaws. They make mistakes like all of us. And when we see that, when people outside that world see that, they really see themselves. So I think that’s the way to go about doing it.

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