Anora, the Palme d’Or winning Sean Baker film about a stripper named Ani (Mikey Madison) pulled into a whirlwind relationship with Russian rich kid Vanya (Mark Eidelstein), has been the subject of debate in recent days for not using intimacy coordinators.

But Anora not using intimacy coordinators isn’t news: Baker and Madison discussed their decision not to use intimacy coordinators in our cover story about the film in October.

Intimacy coordinators are a relatively recent innovation, spawned by #MeToo-era concerns about actors suffering exploitation or discomfort while filming intimate scenes. After Madison spoke with Variety about her decision not to use intimacy coordinators for Anora — which features many, very quick sex scenes between Ani and Vanya — the publication sought out intimacy coordinators for comment.

Intimacy Coordinators on Anora

Perhaps unsurprisingly, intimacy coordinators believe that intimacy coordinators should be part of every film shoot involving intimate scenes.

Intimacy coordinator Marci Liroff, who has also worked as a casting director and acting coach, told Variety that while she admires Baker as a filmmaker, “what became really obvious to me is that he neglects to understand the power dynamics that are inherent on set. … It is next to impossible for a performer to say no to someone who has hiring and firing power. You don’t want to seem needy. You don’t want to have to spend more money — we’re a new position on set, so we’re a new line item on the budget.”

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In our cover story, Baker said he has never used intimacy coordinators on his films, but has taken care to be sensitive and attuned to his actors — especially given that his films, which also include Red Rocket and Tangerine, are often focused on the realities of sex work.

He did offer Madison and Eydelshteyn the use of intimacy coordinators — and they declined. Baker and Anora producer Samantha Quan are married, and coordinated intimate scenes in consultation with their stars.

“Sean, Sammy, and I had already created such a comfortable relationship, and I felt more comfortable having it be just them as opposed to bringing another person in the room. I think that was the best choice for this specific film and project,” Madison told MovieMaker. “We shot those scenes super quickly and the communication was definitely on point.”

Baker explained in our cover story — and has continued to explain, as Anora has become a major awards contender — that he believes the decision about whether to hire an intimacy coordinator should be made “on a film-by-film basis.” The one situation in which he would definitely want to use one, he says, would be a scene depicting sexual violence. 

“But so far as a writer I’ve never had the desire to write a scene like that,” he added.

Anora and Awards Season

Anora has been one of the most-praised films of the year since winning the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in May. It is up for five Golden Globes, including best musical or comedy, best actress in a musical or comedy for Madison, and best director and screenplay for Baker. Madison and Baker are on many Oscar prognosticators’ lists.

This is, of course, the stage in awards season when every frontrunner film seems to be vetted more carefully than candidates for high-ranking government positions. Any film accused of stepping outside of Hollywood heterodoxy — even if the standards are very new — is potentially subject to a backlash, and even sometimes whispering campaigns.

Some debate around Anora is perhaps inevitable, given how groundbreaking Baker’s work is — and the recency of the idea that intimacy coordinators should always be available on sets. The debate is also arriving at a time when everyone in the entertainment industry is fighting for their jobs and making the case for their own necessity.

Baker makes challenging films, and for more than a decade has broken ground by portraying sex workers as multifaceted human beings, which has not always been the case in cinema. Perhaps he has helped destigmatize sex work in the process. (Anora is largely about Vanya’s family refusing to see Ani as a worthy human being.)

But Baker’s frank portrayals of sex work mean a fair amount of sex — and, inevitably, some disagreement about how to present it on film. Anora‘s recent release on video on demand will mean a wider audience — and more opinions.

Anora is now available on video on demand, from NEON.

Main image: Mark Eidelstein and MIkey Madison in Anora. NEON.