Anora, a Low-Budget Film on Prostitution, Dominates the Top Oscar Awards | Cinema News

Best Picture and Best Director winner Sean Baker laments the decline in cinema attendance.

**Anora**, the story of a New York sex worker who gets a chance at a new life when she impulsively marries a wealthy Russian client, has won five top [Academy Awards](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/3/oscars-2025-the-list-of-winners-from-the-97th-academy-awards), including the coveted Best Picture.

The annual star-studded ceremony, held in Los Angeles, United States, on Sunday night, also saw [No Other Land](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/3/israeli-palestinian-film-no-other-land-wins-oscar-for-best-documentary), a documentary about the plight of Palestinians under Israeli occupation, win an Oscar.

**Anora**’s 25-year-old star, Mikey Madison, was named Best Actress, while the film also earned Best Director for Sean Baker, as well as trophies for Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing.

In his acceptance speech, Baker urged filmmakers to continue creating projects for the big screen, expressing concern over the decline in the theater-going experience.

“In a time when the world can feel very divided, this is more important than ever,” Baker said. “It’s a communal experience you simply don’t get at home. If we don’t reverse this trend, we’ll be losing a vital part of our culture. This is my battle cry.”

**Anora** was made for $6 million, a modest sum by Hollywood standards. It emerged as the winner in an [unpredictable Oscars race](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/3/making-history-at-the-academy-awards-five-takeaways-from-the-2025-oscars) that included the papal thriller **Conclave**, the Jewish immigrant story **The Brutalist**, and the blockbuster musical **Wicked**.

“If you’re trying to make independent films, please keep doing it. We need more. This is proof,” Baker said.

Adrien Brody claimed his second Oscar, winning Best Actor for his role as a Jewish immigrant and architect chasing the American dream in **The Brutalist**. His first win came 22 years ago for **The Pianist**, when he was 29.

Zoe Saldana was named Best Supporting Actress for her role as the fixer for a Mexican drug lord in the Spanish-language musical **Emilia Perez**, while Kieran Culkin won Best Supporting Actor for the film **A Real Pain**.

‘Ethnic Cleansing’ of Palestinians

**No Other Land**, which highlights Palestinian activists fighting to protect their communities from demolition by Israeli forces, is a collaboration between Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers.

The documentary follows activist Basel Adra as he risks arrest to document the destruction of his hometown at the southern edge of the occupied West Bank, where Israeli soldiers are tearing down homes to use the area as a military training zone. Adra’s pleas initially fall on deaf ears until he befriends a Jewish Israeli journalist who helps amplify his story.

“We made this film as Palestinians and Israelis because, together, our voices are stronger,” said Israeli journalist and filmmaker Yuval Abraham, who used his acceptance speech to criticize his country’s government for what he called “the atrocious destruction of Gaza and its people.” He also urged the Palestinian group Hamas to release all Israeli captives.

Adra, the Palestinian filmmaker, said the film reflects the harsh reality Palestinians have endured for decades.

“About two months ago, I became a father, and my hope for my daughter is that she will not have to live the same life I am living now, always fearing settlers, violence, home demolitions, and forcible displacements—realities my community faces every day under Israeli occupation,” he said, calling on the world to “take serious action to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.”