"Anora" (R)At the Myrna Loy and Cinemark.Grade: A-In 1990 Julia Roberts, a lady who works evening hours, met Richard Gere, a rich businessman. They hooked up, then fell in love – and lived happily ever after.Sean Baker's "Anora" revises the "Pretty Woman" story, with darker tones, removing the fairy tale glow.The film does not glamorize stripping or prostitution. Nor is the romance a rewrite of "My Fair Lady/Pygmalion," a male savior story of sorts where a man (with help from Venus) rescues a woman from her "sad fate."The first act of "Anora" does, however, follow the Sleeping Beauty formula.Anora, who goes by Ani, is a Brooklyn girl who works as a dancer at a Manhattan strip club. Her Russian grandmother taught Ani their homeland language.One fine day, Vanya, a handsome young Russian, visits the club and asks if any of the girls speak Russian.Cue Ani.What begins as special dances in private rooms evolves into a weekly rental ($15K, since you are curious). Then, on a bright-lights getaway, the whirlwind affair morphs into a Vegas marriage.By this time we've learned that Vanya's dad is not just rich, but obscenely wealthy and powerful. When news of his son's romance reaches him, he sends two muscle men to solve this "problem.""Anora" abruptly leaves fantasyland to take us on an interior journey inside a woman who, when she realizes she's being betrayed, counterpunches powerfully and angrily.We hope this bright, sweet lady can escape unharmed.In mid-film the script takes a surprising turn toward black comedy, a detour I found distracting at best.The two Russian heavies turn out to be bumbling bodyguards, no match for Ani. She leaves them bewildered and even limping.But when Vanya's ruthless parents arrive, the laughing stops.In the third act "Anora" evolves into the touching drama that led to "Anora" winning Palm d'Or, the top prize at the Cannes festival. That award was followed by almost unanimous critical acclaim.The applause appropriately focuses on Mikey Madison's Oscar-level performance.Madison reaches behind the "hooker with the heart of gold" façade to introduce us to a wounded woman, with unrealized dreams. She recoils angrily at sexist slurs.Ani views herself as a victim of circumstance, hoping the darkness of a strip club will give way to brighter, lighter days.The final act is deeply touching as she literally and metaphorically screams as her fantasy collapses.The film ends with a concluding ray of hope that, at first, felt like a commercial compromise.But the more I ponder the film – which has lingered with me – the ending seems appropriately ambiguous.Fair warning to modest moviegoers: this film is graphic. Madison plays her role as dancer/escort without shame or embarrassment. Scenes are not edited to appease censors or blushing bluebirds. In an online interview with French actress Isabelle Huppert, Madison says she played nudity as her "costume," enhanced, at times, by heels.The strippers are not romanticized. They are trying to pay rent and buy food, in a livelihood infested with addictive drugs and abusive patriarchs. Some are strong enough to survive, but not all."Anora" is a feminist critique of a society that demeans women in a multitude of ways.And yet "Anora" weaves in a thread of optimism by introducing us to someone strong enough to fight back.I shrugged away the slapstick detours and was ultimately won over by the transparency of Ani. She shares her pain with us, while lashing out at anyone who objectifies her or diminishes her.Her anger is directed at us, as well. Are we allies or voyeurs?Movies like "Anora" walk a tightrope between being a feminist warning and a male-gaze fantasy. We meet a ferociously strong woman who strips for a living. We follow her into clubs where women dance to please men.But Sean Baker's "Anora" is not exploitive.Instead, thanks to Madison, "Anora" spins a cautionary tale of how we damage others by reducing them to demeaning stereotypes.Ani is proud, strong – and damaged.We underestimate the Anis in our world at our own peril.Brent Northup has been reviewing movies for 48 years in Helena, Seattle and Houston. He is a professor of communication and journalism at Carroll College.</h2> Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!

IR movie reviewer Brent Northup says "Anora” take us on a journey inside a woman who, when she realizes she’s being betrayed, counterpunches powerfully.

Movie review: 'Anora' removes fairy tale glow from 'Pretty Woman' story

"As much of a shocker as it may be, Simmons has dated more women since 2016 than nailing the 3s." A January 2023 report by Fadeaway World used this intriguing statement to critique Ben Simmons' on-court performance. However, one can't ignore the fact that the remark also sheds light on his off-court life, as the NBA star has certainly had a colorful dating history. From supermodels and actresses to entrepreneurs, Simmons has given aspiring basketball players another reason to be envious. In the midst of all this, it seemed he had finally found "the one." Unfortunately, that didn't last long. So, without further delay, let's take a closer look at the dating history of the 3x NBA All-Star. Who is Ben Simmons dating? Is the Brooklyn Nets' star still with Maya Jama?</h2> As of now, the player has opted not to share any details about his current relationship status publicly. In fact, he has kept a low profile since his somewhat public connection with Maya Jama. Born in 1994 in the vibrant city of Bristol, England, Maya began her career in radio. However, she first rose to prominence in the UK television industry, initially as an actress and later as a presenter. From presenting a travelogue covering the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil to becoming the host of Love Island Games, the 30-year-old has made significant strides in her career. At the same time, she continued to focus on her radio career, working with BBC Radio 1 until May 2020. Unlike Ben Simmons, Maya Jama doesn't have a lengthy dating history. However, she was in a high-profile relationship with renowned British rapper Stormzy for four years. The couple began dating in 2016 when Maya was just 20, and were even dubbed 'couple goals' by some fans. They briefly rekindled their romance in 2023 before eventually parting ways. Maya Jama and Ben Simmons first went public with their relationship in July 2021, though rumors had started circulating earlier that year. In May, Maya posted a picture on social media, and sharp-eyed observers noticed the shorts she was wearing matched a pair Simmons had been seen wearing previously. Speculation grew that the kitchen in the photo belonged to the NBA player's house. Their relationship was officially confirmed two months later when they attended Wimbledon together and shared a public kiss. Simmons and Maya fueled more speculation among their fans when she was spotted wearing a diamond ring in January 2022. Later reports confirmed that Ben Simmons had proposed to the television personality around Christmas, and they were officially engaged. A week after Valentine's Day, Maya posted a photo of a necklace with the date '12/18/21,' adding a ring emoji. It was speculated that the date marked their engagement. However, the joy surrounding the idea of an impending marriage was short-lived. By August 2022, rumors started to fly around that Ben Simmons and Maya Jawa were through. In a tweet that has now been deleted, she attempted to deny the rumors by writing, "Stop believing 'sources' in papers plz." Simmons himself attempted to deny the rumors by reposting the tweet, and writing "slow news day" as his own personal statement. By next month, however, the New York Post ran the story of their split. A source revealed that "while they both care for each other so much, they truly gave it their all and realise that they just come from two different worlds." Later rumors would link Maya Jawa with Leonardo DiCaprio and Drake. While the actor and Maya did go on a few dates, he denied the existence of a relationship. Any bond between her and Drake never materialized. A source even claimed that "Maya wasn't going to entertain any form of contact." Did Ben Simmons date Eiza Gonzalez after his relationship with Maya Jama?</h2> After Ben Simmons and Maya Jama ended their engagement and broke up, the NBA player was linked to Mexican actress and singer Eiza González. The 34-year-old gained recognition for her roles in movies such as Baby Driver (2017), alongside Jon Hamm, Lily James, and Kevin Spacey, as well as Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019), Bloodshot (2020), and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2020), starring Henry Cavill and Alan Ritchson. González's dating history is even more high-profile than Simmons's, having briefly been involved with Liam Hemsworth, Timothée Chalamet, and Jason Momoa. In February 2023, People magazine reported on a few sources, who claimed that Gonzalez and Ben Simmons had been dating "for a few weeks." They captured them going on one date at a Manhattan Sushi place. However, the duo didn't appear in public again. By March 2024, Eiza Gonzalez revealed that she had "sort of given up on dating." How long did Ben Simmons and Kendall Jenner date?</h2> Among the NBA stars who have had relationships with a Kardashian is Ben Simmons. Reports suggest that he met Kendall Jenner through mutual friends, and the two began dating in May 2018. Prior to Simmons, other basketball players like Devin Booker, Blake Griffin, and Jordan Clarkson had been romantically linked to Jenner. At one point, rumors also connected her to Kyle Kuzma, although they were later debunked. The relationship between Simmons and Jenner became known for its on-again, off-again nature over time. It wasn't until November 2019 she confirmed it on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The host pulled up a picture of the couple and asked "So obviously you're dating this guy who's on the 76ers . How long have you been dating him?" Jenner smiled and replied, "For a bit now." Kendall Jenner was often seen attending the games featuring Simmons. In some of them, she even brought her brother Kris. By June 2019, however, Simmons and Jenner had broken up. A source revealed that "They're on a break. The relationship ran its course. She's spending time with her friends and back to being in fun mode." The separation didn't last long, however. They reconciled and continued dating until April 2020. All in all, the NBA player and the member of the Kardashian clan were together for two years. Given Ben Simmons' track record, it's unlikely he'll stay single for long. However, if he is in a relationship at the moment, he's keeping it well under wraps. It's also possible that his focus is on his career, especially with the Brooklyn Nets currently sitting at a 5-9 record. With such a challenging season ahead, Simmons may not have the time or energy to pursue a relationship.

From having an on-off relationship with a Kardashian to being engaged to a popular British TV star, Ben Simmons' dating history is quite rich

Who is Ben Simmons’ Girlfriend? Nets Star’s Dating History With Kendall Jenner, Maya Jama and Others

Manju Bahl (nee Gauba) </h2>In loving memory, family and friends mark the first anniversary of the passing of Manju Bahl (nee Gauba) on November 19.Manju was born in 1955 to Jagdish and Sarla Gauba in Varanasi, India. She was the third of their three daughters, born in the wake of Partition and the promise of Indian independence.Tragically, Jagdish died when Manju was just three years old. Sarla was left to raise her daughters on her own in a patriarchal society. With tenacity and fortitude, Sarla returned to university, earned two degrees, and embarked on an esteemed career in social work and higher education. Inspired by her mother's example, Manju became fiercely independent, adventurous, and clear-eyed about the preciousness of life. She, too, was unbound by the conventions of the day. She was one of three women in her course to earn a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Physics, and Math and a Master's degree in Chemistry at Banaras Hindu University. In 1979, Manju was introduced to Sudarshan Kumar, the son of Basdev and Dayawanti Bahl. They agreed to be married two weeks after meeting, and they started their married life first in Toronto and then in Chicago. Manju then began building her career and her family. She worked in the laboratories at Cook County Hospital, and she gave birth to her sons, Ankur and Veyom.Searching for warmer weather and chasing the tech boom, Manju and Sudarshan moved to the Bay Area in 1986. Manju immediately took to California; her easy laugh, generous manner, and open heart won her lifelong friends in each home she built, in Sunnyvale, San Jose, and Santa Clara.For the next 15 years, Manju poured her unending love and boundless energy into raising her boys. She relished getting them into great schools, coaching them in math and science, and volunteering on their field trips and grad nights. She shuttled them from practice to camp, performance to competition, humming her favorite 80s and 90s classics en route. She adopted her sons' friends as her own, feeding and nurturing them as an extension of her family. In the late 1990s, Manju also re-engaged with her career, working as a systems administrator and a software tester. Over her 68 years, Manju invested deeply in the community of people she loved, guided by her refrain that we have just "one life to live," so we ought to "go the whole nine yards." She tended to her beautiful garden, remained a committed customer of local farmers' markets, and never said "no" to a chat over coffee or chai. She traveled to six continents, always arriving with gifts of homegrown avocados and homemade saag. Manju's last waking day was one of simple pleasures: a drive, calls to family and friends, and a walk in the California sunshine with her husband of 44 years. She died a month-to the hour-after Sudarshan, in the arms of her sons, sisters, and son-in-law, Wayne. She is survived by family and friends all over the world who love her, miss her, and are reminded by her enduring wisdom to "have fun."

In loving memory, family and friends mark the first anniversary of the passing of Manju Bahl (nee Gauba) on November 19.Manju was born in 1955 to Jagdish an

Manju Bahl Obituary

The best interviews are often the most personal. In Loves of My Life, we get to know the person behind their craft, asking them the important questions we're desperate to know—the restaurants and date-night spots, what's in their Saved folder on Instagram, the piece of jewellery they're most attached to and what's lurking at the bottom of their handbag. In short, these are the true loves of their life. Next up is Outlander actress Sophie Skelton. What's your #1 restaurant to visit in the world, and what do you order?</h2>Ah man, that's a good question. I come from the North of England where the pub food and countryside setting is hard to beat, so seeing as we're coming into winter, a cosy pub in the middle of nowhere with an open fire and (ideally) snow outside is pretty perfect but otherwise—a "favourite" really depends on my mood and what the occasion is. There's something I really enjoy (and it's very barbarous of me,) about eating fish by the ocean. I love a marinated miso cod so perhaps Nobu Malibu for the view and the fresh fish. (Insert your judgement here). Is there anything in your wardrobe that you're particularly sentimental about?</h2>I'm not usually a big cap wearer but I have one that I bought with my best mate on a trip; they had just moved country and were having a hard time so I flew out to visit them. I love pieces that remind me of smiling and laughing in the face of hardship, and it gives me a little injection of life and joy whenever I wear it, so sometimes I'll throw it on to capture that feeling and to feel close to someone/ the people I love who are far away. What would we always find lurking in the bottom of your handbag?</h2>Random sets of keys! I have keys from flats I've stayed in for jobs, and for friend's houses around the world in case I ever want to stay or visit, and I don't know which belong where or to whom they belong, soooo it's a rock-up and lucky-dip kind of situation at the bottom of my handbag. I'm like Mr Treeger from Friends. (I definitely have an old NYC one in there too, so dancing on a New York rooftop is an option.)I also have a load of friendship bracelets in there that fans have given me on trips. I have one handbag that I take everywhere, so it's full of have random bracelets from fans all over the world that now come with me. I always remember the individual interaction and who gave me what, so I like to think they can feel my thoughts and strength with them back. What's your signature scent?</h2>That is actually one of my best kept secrets (and I pride myself on my secret keeping). But I do have a signature blend I created and used to wear all the time. Unfortunately they discontinued one so I'm still looking for an alternative to recreate the mix, but it's Tom Ford White Suede, then Vanille Fatale, and then Venetian Bergamot on top to lift it. I'm not a fan of anything too floral, and I've always been a tomboy so I edge towards more "masculine" scents. I also like to change my perfume at work sometimes to ensure I don't feel rooted back to myself so it's great to have a small handful on hand to mix and match. If you could only holiday in one place for the rest of your life, where would it be?</h2>This is going to sound extremely textbook, but I'm a sucker for white sand and sea. I'm also a sunshine junkie and I'm the kind of person who struggles without Vitamin D and natural daylight. Plus, I'm always cold so, take me to wherever that may be! I've never been to the Caribbean or Hawaii so maybe that'll be the spot. Sand, sea and sunshine. Watching a quiet sunset on the beach with a warm breeze is my happy place.Lahania beach in Hawaii. We've caught you on a rare day off. What are you doing with your spare time?</h2>I am terrible at "days off". I look forward to them so much but when they arrive I feel guilty for being idle. I'm usually trying to clear life admin so I can have a day with really nothing to do. I do love a Sunday morning with a coffee, monthly Vogue and my dog roaming around though. And if I can find somewhere green for him to run and me to flight-mode my phone and switch off my mind then that's a pretty good day off for me. I love being with my friends but everyone lives so far away most of the time and spread around the globe, so I fall into my factory hibernation mode which I am wary of succumbing to too much. I like to add in a pub Sunday roast if I'm in the UK and that's a perfect day off for me. Laughter and Yorkshire puddings. Sold.I recently discovered a great Mezcal bar near me. I love a speakeasy and somewhere private and not too bright or noisy. The best spots are somewhere you can chat, not have to shout, but also not be overheard. I also love a late night wander through a city too and feel the buzz of everyone enjoying their evenings around. I'm a big admirer of just walking and seeing where we end up. Bridges, rivers and city night lights. What's one item of clothing you would never part with, and why?</h2>I have a pair of Chloé wellies that I think I will wear in and wear down 'til the day I die. Dramatic but true. Well worn-in wellies are the one.Richard Rankin, Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan, Sophie Skelton, Executive Producer Maril Davis and John Bell attend "Outlander" 10th Anniversary Celebration during PaleyFest 2024. What's your current most-played on Spotify?</h2>My music taste is so eclectic. Most played will range from Etta James to Taylor Swift and maybe some Rock sprinkled in with Country. Currently my most played song is "Letting Go" by Angie McMahon from the Shrinking soundtrack, and "Bright" from the Stereophonic musical, but they're a little more sad than my usual taste. I must be having a moment. What's your favourite IG account to follow, and why?</h2>Social media and I don't have a very consistent relationship and I'm not a big scroller, but some of my friends are really flipping funny on there. I'd say my friends who are mums are probably my favourites to follow and see pop up on the old feed. Their posts are so authentic and have such a comedic and sarcastic way of showing their parenthood struggles and strifes that lift other women up and show familiar experiences in a way that you can feel seen and still have a giggle on top. Makes me happy to see that sisterhood and teamwork in what can be such a lonely/= and comparative online place. If we looked through your Saved folder on IG, what would we find?</h2>Currently a lot of motivational posts. It's an exciting and uprooting time for me so I seem to be liking a lot of posts that are grounding and foreword facing. That and quotes from actors. Handy tips and what not. Where is your favourite place for inspiration and your favourite place for fun?</h2>My favourite place for inspiration is Haworth—Brontë falls, moody moors and getting lost. For fun, it's probably at the piano seeing what creation pours out. And actually, being at work for both. I love being on set and not knowing what's going to come out in a take. It's a great way of processing life for me and discovering new things about people and myself. What's one beauty or self-care item you can't live without?</h2>"Can't live without" is extreme, but I do have this little face roller that I got from an airport Boots called "Botanics Twin Facial Massager" and that's become my daily go -to, I'll often use it on way to work. I have endometriosis and PCOS, so I tend to get sluggish lymphatic system and water retention, especially when travelling a lot for work. I also tense when I'm stressed, so it's been an easy but super effective game changer. And not time consuming which is a win-win for me. What are your top three favourite movies of all time?</h2>Green Book, Good Will Hunting and Roman Holiday. Richard Rankin ("Roger MacKenzie") and Sophie Skelton ("Brianna Fraser MacKenzie") in series 7 of Outlander on Starz. What's one piece of advice that someone you love gave to you that has always stuck?</h2>Put your blinkers on and run your own race. Who are your professional and personal heroes?</h2>Professional? Easily Emma Thompson, Denzel Washington, Dakota and Elle Fanning, Matt Damon, Elizabeth Olsen, Zendaya, Tom Hanks... Man, I could go on. Personal— there are so many people around me who are making a difference in the world and have missions so much bigger than themselves that I really admire, and I see people I love being stronger and wiser each day which is heroic in itself. Who is/are the love(s) of your life?</h2>Being in the cinema is and has always been my one love. So immersed and totally switched off from everything else. It's magical to me. I get a similar feeling being on stage. What is the love of your life?</h2>Typical "dog mum" of me but, Loka, my 70kg Great Dane. Accidentally named him that and later found out it means "world" so pretty appropriate. Shop Sophie's Style:</h2>

The best interviews are often the most personal. In Loves of My Life, we get to know the person behind their craft, asking them the important questions we’re desperate to know—the restaurants and date-night spots, what’s in their Saved folder on Instagram, the piece of jewellery they’re most attached to and what’s lurking at the

Loves of My Life: Sophie Skelton

Night Court is finally returning in the fall 2024 TV schedule , just shy of eight months after the Season 2 finale back in the spring that ended with the reveal that Jake just might be Dan's son. Season 3 will also premiere with former guest star Wendie Malick returning as Dan's once-murderous nemesis Julianne, and she'll be sticking around this time. Malick and John Larroquette opened up about their characters' relationship now that she'll be a series regular, including "bad chemistry" in a very funny, Night Court sort of way.The Season 2 finale (available streaming with a Peacock subscription ) ended with Olivia on board as the prosecutor opposite Dan; India de Beaufort is out of the cast with Wendie Malick stepping in for the upcoming third season. While that means a sticky situation for Dan, how exactly could jailbird Julianne even become an attorney in Abby's court? At NBC's press junket for Season 3, I asked the Shrinking alum how the premise was pitched to her, and she explained:Wendie Malick certainly has more experience than most in front of a live studio audience, with all seven seasons Just Shoot Me! with David Spade , all six seasons of Hot in Cleveland, and recurring gigs on Frasier (although she doesn't expect to return for the revival ) and The Ranch, to name just some. With Night Court Season 3, she's back as more than just a guest!And while that's great for Malick (and fans), it may not be so great for Dan Fielding's peace of mind. When asked by press during the Night Court junket what the Julianne/Dan dynamic would be like once they'd be around each other every day, the new series regular shared:"Bad chemistry" would probably be a bad thing for most characters on most shows, but certainly not for Dan and Julianne and not on Night Court! Wendie Mallick and John Larroquette's love-hate dynamic as their characters was fun when she was a guest star, so it's a safe bet that it will continue now that she'll be around regularly. Larroquette shared his own take, saying:The "insanity" from Julianne's first two episodes – the latter of which was in an already crazy episode, including Dan going full Star Trek and Gurgs alluding to a dalliance with Christopher Meloni – will be muted now that she'll be around on a weekly basis, but Julianne will still be Julianne. Larroquette continued:All in all, Julianne would probably not be Dan's first choice to join the motley crew of the night court! Melissa Rauch, who of course plays Abby, previewed that "we're off to the races with Wendie in that episode as she comes in as the new prosecutor."So, would Dan rather deal with Julianne or with the Wheelers on a daily basis, after the Wheelers returned in Season 2 ? I asked John Larroquette that very question during NBC's junket, and he shared:Fortunately, the wait to see Julianne and Dan in her series regular era is nearly over, as Night Court Season 3 premieres on Tuesday, November 19 at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC, following St. Denis Medical. A promo gives a taste of what's to come with these characters, and it's worth at least one watch. Take a look:The Season 3 premiere won't all be about Dan dealing with Julianne's arrival as the new prosecutor. Called "The Judge's Boyfriend's Dad," the first Night Court episode of the fall will feature Abby doing some investigating into her suspicion that Dan might be Jake's biological father. If you need a refresher on how Season 2 ended, you can find last spring's finale streaming on Peacock now.

Night Court's Wendie Malick shared that she and John Larroquette have "bad chemistry" in the best way, as Larroquette previews Dan and Julianne as "cohorts."

'We Have Bad Chemistry': Night Court's Wendie Malick And John Larroquette Talk Dan's Relationship With Julianne As She Becomes A Series Regular

EXCLUSIVE: Jasmeet Raina , the creator and star of Late Bloomer , will make his directing debut in the Crave comedy's second season. Production on Season 2 recently got underway in the greater Toronto region, starring Raina as Jasmeet Dutta, a Punjabi Sikh millennial and burgeoning online content creator trying to balance his ambitions for success with his commitment to his family, community and culture. It is inspired by Raina's life. Co-executive producer Peter Huang is back to direct six of the season's eight episode, with Raina directing the other two and also executive-producing. Pier 21 is producing in association with Crave. Starring alongside Raina are Baljinder Singh Atwal (Des Pardes) and Sandeep Bali as Jasmeet's parents, Ashley Ganger (Grand Army) as his sister, Sugenja Sri (The Handmaid's Tale) and Sachin Mahashi as his friends and Ahamed Weinberg (Insecure) as a cousin. Seher Khot (Sex/Life) also returns in an expanded role. "I'm so excited to have this opportunity to shoot another season of the show and to take these characters and their stories to deeper places," said Raina, who is known as a popular content creator in Canada under the moniker Jus Reign. "There is so much we want to keep exploring around the unseen racialized experience in North America and we're going to keep pushing to take bold swings with the comedy. Stepping into directing this season is a new challenge for me which I am thrilled to take on." Raina was one of Much Digital Studios' first content creators back in 2015. He became known for his deadpan comedic delivery and commentary on race and pop culture. "Late Bloomer's honest and comedic take on adulthood, seen through Jasmeet's unique perspective, resonated with a wide audience. It was an easy decision to continue this thoughtful and funny story," said Justin Stockman, Vice President, Content Development & Programming at Crave parent Bell Media. "We are excited by how the season is coming together and know Crave subscribers are going to love what's in store for the Dutta family when the show returns in 2025." Also returning off camera are Shebli Zarghami as executive producer and showrunner, Lakna Edirisinghe as co-executive producer/writer and Gayle Ye as director of photography. Baljinder Dhawan is executive Producer, with Laszlo Barna, Nicole Butler, and Vanessa Steinmetz serving in the same role for Pier 21 FilmsRussell Peters and Clayton Peters are also executive producers and Robbie David is producer. Show is made with the participation of the Canada Media Fund and the Bell Fund, and tax credit assistance from the Government of Ontario, and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit. It is distributed internationally by Bell.

Jasmeet Raina, the creator and star of 'Late Bloomer,' will make his directing debut in the Crave comedy's second season.

‘Late Bloomer’ Star Jasmeet Raina Making TV Director Debut In Crave Comedy’s Second Season

A woman who fell in love on holiday rekindled the relationship and ultimately got married to her fling – 10 years after they first met each other. Club promoter Zoe, now 33, was working in Ayia Napa, Cyprus, giving out shots, when she first met Michael, also 33, who was on a lads holiday in 2012. The pair, both originally from the UK, sparked a holiday romance and met several times during Michael's trip. Zoe even made a passing comment to a friend about Michael – claiming she had met the man she'll 'marry one day'. Michael returned to Leeds, Yorkshire, after a week, and Zoe flew back to the UK a few months later to start a course at the University in Bournemouth, Dorset. Five years later, Zoe sent a drunken message to Michael and, to her surprise, the connection was 'still there'. The pair renewed their romance and Zoe left her job as an Emirates air steward and moved to Leeds, to be with Michael. The went on tie the knot in May 2022, 10 years after they first met on holiday, and recently welcomed their firstborn, son Leo, in February 2023. Zoe, a content creator, from Leeds, Yorkshire, said: 'When I met Michael, I remember saying to my friend, "I've met the man I'm going to marry." 'During that holiday, he said the same thing to his mates about me. 'I never in a million years imagined I'd actually marry him 10 years later. 'Despite losing contact, the connection was still there. 'It's not all been plain sailing, but I'm so glad I followed my heart.' Zoe was working as a promoter in Cyprus during the summer of 2012, while taking a gap year before starting university. Michael was on a lads holiday when he first crossed paths with Zoe. She said: 'We met when I was encouraging them to come in for shots. 'I don't remember what we spoke about, but I remember how he made me feel. 'There was an immediate connection, and I had this gut feeling about us.' During Michael's week-long trip, they met up several times for dates on the Island. They exchanged numbers and continued messaging when Michael returned home a week later. Zoe flew back to the UK in September 2012, ready to start university. She said: 'We were both in very different places in life. 'He was focused on his career, and I was about to start my course. 'We ended up drifting apart, but we kept liking each other's photos on Facebook.' Five years later, in 2019, Zoe had just gone through a break-up when she met with a friend. They started discussing past relationship, and her friend reminded her of 'Michael from holiday'. 'We had a few bottles of wine, and I looked him up online,' she said. 'He had two children but was also single. 'I genuinely wasn't expecting anything to come from it, but I sent a drunk message to see how he was doing. 'It was like no time had passed. 'We immediately hit it off again.' Zoe, who was working as an air steward at the time, ended up leaving her job and moving to Yorkshire to live with Michael in 2020. The pair were hit with lockdown but despite the difficult circumstances, they made it work. She said: 'It was definitely tough at times - I moved my entire life there. 'I never expected to become a stepmum. 'But we took it all slowly, and the kids were so welcoming. 'Through all of it, Michael was so loving and supportive. I knew I had made the right decision.' During a trip to Greece in September 2020, Michael proposed to Zoe and they started planning the wedding. They tied the knot two years later in Athens, Greece, in May 2022, with 55 close family and friends. 'We met near Greece, so it's always been very special to us,' she said. 'The proposal was perfect, and it really cemented my feelings that I'd made the right decision. 'It was such a magical wedding.' In 2023, the couple were overjoyed to welcome their son Leo, 20-months-old. Zoe said: 'We've got through difficult times, but throughout all of it I've had Michael by my side. 'Things might not always be the fairytale you envision, but if put in the work it could be so much better.'

Zoe and Michael fell in love during a 2012 trip to Cyprus. A decade later, the UK-based couple tied the knot during a 'magical' ceremony in Greece.

I rekindled my fairytale holiday romance with a drunk text - and ended up marrying my fling 10 years after we first met

It's commonly believed that a relationship between a couple with conflicting ideals and lifestyles, particularly when deep values such as religion are involved, cannot endure, especially if there are children.In a captivating, thought-provoking memoir, author Jennifer Lang shows that it really can work.Lang, who hails from the San Francisco Bay area, was in Israel as a tourist in the 1980s when she met Philippe, an oleh (immigrant to Israel) from France. A passionate Zionist , he wanted to live in Israel permanently – a goal she did not share. Additionally, he was religious, observing the laws of Shabbat and kashrut, a way of life that Lang had no interest in pursuing. In Places We Left Behind, Lang's "memoir-in-miniature," she describes her exciting romance with a man from a different culture and their married life that followed, which included raising three children. She candidly shares her internal conflicts, doubts, vulnerabilities, and fears, demonstrating her unwavering determination to uphold her identity, interests, and career goals, all while remaining committed to her marriage and children. A Pushcart Prize and Best American Essays nominee, Lang holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and was an assistant editor of Brevity: A Journal of Concise Literary Nonfiction. At one point, after several years of marriage, she confesses, "Elephants take cover under the rug in every room, turning the where-to-live and how-much-Judaism-to-live-by conversations taboo. We break down. Lose our bearings. Come unhinged. Wrestle, with each other, with ourselves."In the end, she succeeds (to be fair, they both succeed), but the fascinating part is the process – the struggles, challenges, and personal growth over three decades.As for the title, the memoir describes the couple's moves to different places spanning three continents, between 1989 (the First Intifada ) and 2011.<h3>Resonating with olim</h3>Although an interesting read overall, Places We Left Behind would resonate deeply with olim, who have all left places behind. In most cases, no matter how attached one becomes to his or her adopted country – especially when it comes to idealistic Zionists moving to Israel – if a person lived comfortably in the US or any other country and had deep emotional ties to the place and the people, including childhood friends, family, and sweet memories, there will always be a degree of longing and nostalgia.The author writes in an unconventional style, using poetry and charts, as well as striking a line through phrases here and there, demonstrating her thought process. As she explains in her Author's Note, the vignettes in the book illustrate her "emotional truth." She also took "select creative liberties, recreating the dialogue as accurately as memory allows for the sake of the narrative."There is no lack of humor in the book. For instance, she makes a list at the beginning of a serious relationship (with Philippe), enumerating the advantages and disadvantages of moving in together. However, "When the negatives outweigh the positives, I tear out the sheet and toss it," she writes. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post NewsletterA quick and captivating read, Places We Left Behind was followed by her second book (published a month later), Landed: A Yogi's Memoir in Pieces & Poses. Lang is not only an author but also a longtime yoga instructor and teacher of YogaProse, which incorporates her dual passions for writing and yoga.Having read only the first book (and looking forward to the second), I asked Lang if she and her husband, Philippe, were still together, as the memoir ends over a decade ago, at which point they were returning to Israel. "Philippe and I are still married and just celebrated 34 years in September," the author replied, adding that they live in Tel Aviv , where she runs the Israel Writers Studio. Lang had not been thrilled, to say the least, about leaving the US and returning to a war zone, but "Israel is definitely home now, and a dear friend observed that perhaps the second book, Landed, which starts where Places left off and is a seven-year story from 2011 to 2018, was what I thought was my landing," she said. But after the events of Oct. 7 and everything that has happened since then, maybe it was a false landing – and on October 8, I truly landed. "I could never leave now, live elsewhere. It is home without a question. A fraught one but a true one; a meaningful one."Contact Lang: israelwriterstudio.com or facebook.com/israelwriterstudio, as well as on Instagram.com/jenlangwrites or facebook.com/jenlangwrites. For YogaProse: israelwriterstudio.com/yogaprose/ The reviewer, a veteran journalist, made aliyah from Toronto in 2011.

Although an interesting read overall, Places We Left Behind would resonate deeply with olim, who have all left places behind.

Author Jennifer Lang's memoir Places We Left Behind is a "memoir-in-miniature" Lang describes her exciting romance with a man from a different culture and their married life that followed. The memoir describes the couple's moves to different places spanning three continents. The author writes in an unconventional style, using poetry and charts.

'Places We Left Behind': Commitment and true love conquer all - review

Erin Lichy spoke out about her husband Abe Lichy's confessionals on "The Real Housewives of New York City." In November 2024, the Bravo star was a guest on SiriusXM's "Jeff Lewis Live" and the topic of her husband Abe came up. Lichy told host Jeff Lewis that she's "proud" of her husband for opening up about how he questioned his sexuality when he was younger. But she also noted that her lawyer husband sometimes talks too much in front of the cameras."I have to admit, it is annoying that he doesn't shut his mouth," Lichy said. "Like, I get very frustrated with him. He said something really stupid at that dinner at The Bush [bar] with the girls and like, I was annoyed, you know. He's annoying. He just says everything."<h2>Jeff Lewis Joked About Abe Lichy's Confessional</h2>In the RHONY season 15 episode titled "Dodging Rumors," the Lichys met up with Racquel Chevremont and her fiancée, Mel Corpus, at a Brooklyn bar. Corpus jokingly referred to Abe Lichy as "Gabe," as in "Gay Abe." The two had a playful banter, with Corpus noting that Erin's husband has "lesbian sensibilities."In a confessional, Abe revealed that he thought about kissing men in college but never acted on it. "I've never kissed a guy," he said. "I was tempted in college. I came really close. There was a point when I questioned my sexuality."On "Jeff Lewis Live," Lewis brought up the confessional about Abe's sexuality."We could talk about that. I'm proud of him," Lichy replied. "I actually was like proud of him for being able to say that because he's comfortable in his sexuality. He doesn't need to be such a little like...He's not afraid to be, he's not like a toxic man who has to be like... We're obviously in love.""So, you don't mind that he came out on season 15?" Lewis cracked."He did not come out. My God," Lichy replied.<h2>Erin Lichy Is Pregnant With Her 4th Child With Abe</h2>Erin and Abe Lichy share children Levi, 9, Layla, 7, and Elijah, 4. Hours before the "Dodging Rumors" episode aired on Bravo, Erin Lichy confirmed to People magazine that she was expecting Baby No. 4. She also showed off her growing bump during a video interview with BravoTV.com ."Let's announce the future Lichy baby in my belly, coming Spring 2025," she shared. "[Abe and I] did not talk this through. We do have a lot of sex and sometimes it ends up in child! So, yep, here we go. Four kids in the city."The pregnancy news comes amid some marital woes that the two faced during filming for season 15 of RHONY. Abe Lichy told Page Six's "Virtual Reali-Tea" that the couple suffered financial problems after he left his job at a law firm to start a handbag business. Erin Lichy later found out that her husband sold their shared Bitcoin to pay off debt without telling her.On "Jeff lewis Live," Lewis joked that Erin Lichy has to stay with her husband because she's pregnant again. "No, I Love Abe," she assured the "Flipping Out" alum.

"Real Housewives of New York City" star Erin Lichy said her hsuband Abe sometimes talks too much.

Erin Lichy spoke out about her husband Abe's confessionals on "The Real Housewives of New York City" She said she's "proud" of him for opening up about how he questioned his sexuality when he was younger. But she also noted that her husband sometimes talks too much in front of the cameras.

Erin Lichy Addresses Husband Abe’s Very Personal RHONY Confessional

CLEVELAND, Ohio – I've known Jenny Spencer for about 12 years. We met through our work supporting economic development in Northeast Ohio – she with TeamNEO, and me with Geauga Growth Partnership. As women, we were in the minority when the region's development organizations gathered quarterly. Our paths continued to cross as our professional and personal lives progressed. No matter how long it had been, meeting for coffee led to laughter and the exchange of insights and encouragement. When Jenny joined Cleveland City Council four years ago, I was writing summaries of public meetings for Cleveland Documenters. As I watched the city's 2021 budget meetings, I saw Jenny's eyes widen. Being new in any organization demands we submit to a steep learning curve and I could tell, she was in it. Personal experience says municipal budgetary processes are the deepest end of the pool of council responsibilities. It can be overwhelming. But Jenny was right there, asking questions, following up, learning as she went. As time went on, Jenny continued in forthrightness and honest vulnerability, never shying away from getting more information as she sought clarification and understanding in order to make the best decisions possible. She became one of the most prepared and dependable council members. About her first year in office or so, I called her and asked how she was doing. Her response brought to mind the image of a person using a straw to breathe while looking at the underside of lilypads. We both knew the waters would recede but she'd never be on dry land again. Last week, I attended a special event Spencer hosted at XYZ Tavern in her Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood. In front of a livestream camera and a group of about 50 constituents, staff and admirers, she announced she would not be seeking another term next year. There was no audible gasp, just serious silence. She followed that with departing remarks that highlighted her values, accomplishments and hopes. She called her time on council the honor of a lifetime. She spoke of proud accomplishments, what she'll push for during her last 14 months on council, and what it took to do the job she felt so honored to carry. It took a lot. Some of her message will stick with me for a long time, partly because it's not often a public servant shares such thoughts and partly because I needed to hear these thoughts in this raw time after the election. Her decision took weeks of wrestling and was made months ago. Once made, she waited to go public. She explained, "I wanted to be 'all in' on talking about the importance of the general election, and how government and policy at all levels impact my constituents' lives." When she walks away from office at the end of December 2025, Jenny will leave behind a legacy of impactful accomplishments that will continue to serve Clevelanders into the future. She worked to enshrine a public comment period at council meetings and reform tax abatement policy to slow gentrification. Her focus on affordable housing produced 60 new lease/purchase homes in the Cudell and Detroit-Shoreway neighborhoods, and 50 new Habitat for Humanity homes throughout Cleveland, including 10 in Ward 15. With the collaboration of county, city and state resources, Jenny led ARPA funding of the Karam Senior Living project, which will provide 51 affordable housing units atop and adjacent to the coming Walz Branch of Cleveland Public Library. The corner of West 80th Street and Detroit Avenue will become a community center for everyone in the neighborhood. After pushing for tree canopy restoration, Jenny sponsored legislation to establish a Division of Urban Forestry. While trees help calm traffic, Jenny was right there when the city established a residential traffic-calming pilot program, to get speed tables installed along neighborhood streets. Jenny said the program was so successful that Mayor Justin Bibb's administration will be installing speed tables on at least three residential streets in each ward, EACH year. Mitigating the dangers of speeding vehicles on neighborhood streets is near and dear to me. Bravo! Since Jenny joined City Council in 2020, she and her team have responded to more than 5,500 constituent concerns, using a spreadsheet to keep track of all the inquiries. That's proof of a public servant who is dedicated and works from the heart outward. And she defined it well in her remarks last week: "Public service springs from love - it's like a feeling that starts inside of you and keeps expanding, almost limitless at times. We should always be wary of any leader who fails to do this work out of love and service to the people - across differences and across lived experiences." Wary, indeed, Jenny. When someone honors public service and decides to leave for personal reasons, it can feel selfish. That's how I first felt when I walked away. Hopefully, Jenny knows in her deepest core her decision is right and good and honorable because she has given beyond measure. She's earned a different lilypad pond of her choice. So, I wish her safe travels, good family times and an exciting future. It will be a future of giving because when a person loves others enough to serve them from their heart, they can't really stop helping. Jenny will be back. Somehow. Some way. Somewhere. Some day. And I bet we'll have coffee to talk about it.

Spencer, who will not seek re-election next year, quickly became one of Cleveland's most prepared and dependable council members, writes columnist Leslie Kouba.

Cleveland City Councilwoman Jenny Spencer announced she won't run for re-election next year. She will leave behind a legacy of impactful accomplishments that will continue to serve Clevelanders.

Outgoing Cleveland City Council member Jenny Spencer served with love: Leslie Kouba

To young people and the middle-aged I have advice: Start thinking now about what will be said about you when you're gone. Don't wait and risk the rude awakening that happened to me recently—at age 90. In the past, I had many times reviewed my life and was quite satisfied. Being gay, I had no children, but for 40 years I had a perfect partner, who died, and now I have the perfect spouse, so far for 21 years. Although my father abandoned the family when I was three, I had a loving mother and ideal sister. I had interesting jobs, first as a reporter for the old Cleveland News, then as an adman on Madison Avenue. And I'm still in fairly good condition. A successful life, I concluded many times. No regrets. Then one day in a nostalgic tenor, I decided to look up the obituary of Terry, a friend and ex-partner, that I had read 15 years ago had died. We had been inseparable the 10 years I lived in Cleveland but drifted apart when I relocated to New York City. In my original reading, I didn't notice the "Memories and Condolences" section. I saw it now and read it with astonishment and admiration. And with envy — of the love and gratitude Terry had inspired. For, apparently, the fun-loving man I knew in his 20s had, in the decades since, morphed into a caring, advice-giving, problem-solving statesman at a West Side community center. A dozen young people, some now heads of family, expressed in writing their love for him, their thankfulness for his help, and their extreme sorrow at his passing. One cited "your strength in need." Another wrote of him as, "the one who understood me when no one else did." A young man stated, "I loved him and always will." A woman called Terry "a man with one of the most concerned hearts I ever met." His young nephew composed a 30-line poem to his uncle: "...You were the one I could confide in..." Legacy has been defined as the sum of the personal values, accomplishments and actions that resonate with the people around you, or the way you're remembered for your character, reputation and the life you lived. What a beautiful legacy Terry left. I was filled with awe. I thought of another friend I had who lived in Cleveland Heights, and I now recalled that his obituary praised him for his activism in LGBTQ affairs in Sarasota, Florida, where he relocated after retirement, and his leadership in historic preservation. Another tinge of regret at my own years. I reflected on the lack of contribution I had made in my long life. I did care for my mother and sister in their last days, and Jack, my first partner. I contribute to a slew of good causes and include them in my will. Although not a doctor, I try to abide by the Hippocratic Oath: First, do no harm. But surely that should be a minimum, to do no harm. Who have I helped as Terry had? Have I affected lives, been there in time of need, found words of wisdom for a distressed lad or grieving widow as my long-ago friend had? What will they write about me? If only I were a half century younger, I'd still have time to change things, to build a legacy. I advise those still young to work on their own legacy right away, by earning love and gratitude. Opportunities are everywhere. But maybe there's still hope for me, despite my age. If my advice here moves some to good works, in order to improve their legacy—then I, by proxy, have improved my own. and has many relatives here. He is the author of "Forgiveness: A Gay Man's Memoir."Have something to say about this topic? * Send a letter to the editor , which will be considered for print publication.

Reflecting on the profound legacies of others, 90-year-old Vincent Burke urges younger generations to cultivate meaningful contributions and connections now, rather than later, to shape how they will be remembered.

Bob Greene says he had no regrets about his life until he read a friend's obituary. He was amazed by the love and gratitude his friend had inspired. Greene: Start thinking now about what will be said about you when you're gone. If my advice here moves some to good works, in order to improve their legacy, I have improved my own.

Start building your legacy of kindness and service to others, before it’s too late: Vincent Burke

When I sit down at a bar in Brooklyn with my cousin — a recent college grad from Korea who is visiting America for the first time — I have one burning question: How's your love life? She keeps her ballcap pushed down low and presses her lips into a tight line. "I'm not interested," she says. "I just don't trust men. You don't know what they're thinking these days — whether they're one of the guys with misogynistic thoughts. It's so normalized. Why would I even risk it?" she says. She does not want to date. She feels no need to get married. Her ideal life is to form a tight-knit community with other single women. "It's not just me," she says. "All my friends rarely date these days for that reason. These issues are all we talk about when we get together." My cousin and her friends are not alone. Across Korea, young women are swearing off men, influenced by the 4B movement, a radical feminist campaign that originated in Korea in the late 2010s. The four Bs stand for (no marriage), (no dating), (no birthing) and (no sex). The movement formed in response to growing gender inequality and violence against women: Korea has one of the largest gender pay gaps in the world, and brutal murders of women — in subway stations , on rooftops and in their own homes , often at the hands of men they were dating — headline news shows daily. Amid so much political turmoil and bloodshed, 4B activists say the only way to make women safe — and convince society to take their safety seriously — is to swear off men altogether until something changes. And now, in the wake of Donald Trump's reelection, 4B is going viral on U.S. social media among women who are furious with the men who helped the former president clinch a win. On TikTok alone, top videos have gained millions of views, and one widely shared tweet about the 4B movement post-election now has 450,000 likes and 21 million views at time of writing. It's too soon to say if the 4B movement is here to stay in the United States. But even if it isn't, the surge in interest says something about the social forces unleashed by the 2024 presidential election. An uptick in misogyny has already been evident — just look at the " your body, my choice " comments by men online — similar to what's been seen in Korea, suggesting that this kind of feminist reaction could take hold. And even if women don't explicitly take on the 4B label , the movement's message of bodily autonomy, and the anger that drove the conversation in the first place, could have a major impact not just on American politics, but on American life overall — just as it has in Korea. Think of the movement as a labor strike, says Soha, a Korean feminist who provided only her online nickname for fear of being harassed for supporting feminism. She says it's about rejecting the additional work women put in to appeal to men, maintain a household and follow patriarchal values — the kind of work that is more widespread in South Korea's more socially conservative society. It's the type of labor all women can identify with and push back against with one powerful voice. Many women eschew the 4B label, often in fear of harassment, but still live by its principles. My cousin describes it as an act of survival, a way to shield women from rapidly rising violence, avoid toxic conversations with misogynistic men and resist an anti-feminist government that is actively trying to roll back women's rights. Just as gender has become a political predictor in Korea , it's shaping elections in the United States. The turnout demographics from the U.S. presidential election are still being sorted out, but a few things are crystal clear. The Republican ticket used male identity and gender grievances as a successful political tool, courting the "bro" vote and attributing Kamala Harris' success to her identity . Young men helped Donald Trump win the election . Many young women are distraught. It's an acceleration of the already widening gender gap in American politics, including an increasing number of young men rejecting feminism . An NBC News poll found that 57 percent of women backed Harris, compared to 40 percent of men — with women sprinting to the left while men flirt with the right. Some U.S. women are seeking both revenge and relief from the consequences of a Republican trifecta, including a rollback of reproductive rights and a broader cultural acceptance of sexist rhetoric. For some online, the answer is right in front of them: the 4B movement from South Korea. Like the U.S., South Korea's gender divide played a striking role in South Korea's most recent presidential election. Yoon Suk Yeol, then the conservative candidate, secured a victory in 2022 by catering to young men who felt left behind during a rapid push for gender equality, especially after the country's #MeToo reckoning in 2018 tanked the careers of several actors and politicians. Young men cheered on Yoon's declarations of being an "anti-feminist," saying that "structural discrimination based on gender" does not exist, despite the fact that the country regularly ranks near the bottom in the World Economic Forum's gender equality index. To this day, young men perceive that discrimination against men is more serious than against women, even though 50 percent of women between the ages of 19-29 say they've experienced sexual discrimination at work, compared to 30 percent of their male peers. From 2021 to 2023, female sexual assault victims saw a 15 percent rise. Many American women fear the same could happen here. 4B messaging is already echoing on U.S. social media. One X user advertises the 4B movement as a way to "take control of your life under *him*." Another user writes , "We need to start considering the 4B movement ... We can't let these men have the last laugh ... we need to bite back." One TikToker has posted she's joining the 4B movement after breaking up with her Republican boyfriend. "When I saw the movement go viral in the U.S., I thought, even U.S. women must be at their limit," says Yeonhwa Gong, a Korean 4B follower who has written on the topic . "But I don't feel too bad that it has come to this point — if anything, I think of it as a necessary action that had been pushed back for a while and is now finally happening." For women who adopt the 4B mindset, not even men who claim to be on the same political spectrum can provide a safe space. With so many men opposing feminism, and even a video on how pro-Trump men could hide their political beliefs from the women they date going viral, how do you know if he's telling the truth? "A lot of women are just tired of men, and worrying about 'what if?'" my cousin told me. "I had thought at some point I'd want to find a good man, no matter how hard that would be. At this point now though, I don't feel that need." The 4B movement might seem too radical to get far in the U.S., but the fact that it's gained traction suggests that at least a number of young women feel more vulnerable since the reelection of Donald Trump than they did before it. The 4B discourse in the U.S. "prompts us to reflect on how much society has taken for granted or overlooked the rights and the freedoms that women rightly deserve," says Hyejin Jeon, a University of Maryland doctorate student from Korea who is currently analyzing her country's feminism movements. If the movement takes hold, it could potentially lead to some of the same outcomes as have been seen in Korea, where women are reconsidering dates with men out of suspicion and lack or trust, young people are marrying and having children at lower rates, and both men and women are expressing deep loneliness . Politicians could take advantage of the divide for their own gains, leaning harder into gender-divide politics, and even outright sexist rhetoric. And even women may turn against one another; American women are already arguing about the inclusivity of the movement, with some saying that women with male partners have no part in 4B . Such discourse has long fractured feminist groups in Korea, according to Minyoung Moon, a Clemson University lecturer who published a report about the backlash against feminism in South Korea . Married women are seen as "serving the needs of men," she says, alienating the group from what could be a more inclusive movement. And then there's the danger of backlash from the right. "The long-term effect I see is very negative, because they chose the radical strategy, giving men and anti-feminists reason to hate them even more," Moon says. "And when I look at the 4B movement ... on YouTube, I already see the conservative party people bashing against liberal women." Still, at least for now, the movement appears on the upswing in both countries as women say that the model of life they'd expected — dating, marriage, house, kids — looks, increasingly, like a trap set by men who don't see them as equals. And women like my cousin want alternatives.

The gender divide has sundered Korean society — and now it’s coming for the U.S.

The 4B movement is a radical feminist campaign that originated in Korea in the late 2010s. The movement formed in response to growing gender inequality and violence against women. In the wake of Donald Trump's reelection, 4B is going viral on U.S. social media among women who are furious with the men who helped him win.

No Sex, No Dating, No Babies, No Marriage: How the 4B Movement Could Change America

The first hour of " Anora " is designed to feel like a Cinderella story. Ani (Mikey Madison), a Brooklyn sex worker, gets swept up into the whirlwind lifestyle and absurd wealth of Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), the 19-year-old son of a Russian oligarch who goes from her client to husband in the course of a week."I was trying to present the audience with a classic Hollywood romantic comedy, maybe a dirty romantic comedy, but a romantic comedy for the first 45 minutes to an hour," said writer and director Sean Baker when he was guest on IndieWire's Toolkit podcast . "I knew that could be its own movie. I always say, 'You can get up and leave the theater when the helicopter shot that pulls out from the mansion and she's living happily ever after, and that's it.' I even bookend it with this pop song."But for that Cinderella story to work, the " Anora " prince/oligarch would need his castle, and not just any castle. Below, Baker and production designer Stephen Phelps discuss how they found the mansion, how it became an essential part of the film 's cinematic language, and how they tamed and transformed it into this year's most important location setting. Grounded in Neighborhood and Culture</h2>One of the defining features of Baker's films is they are grounded in a specific corner of the world. From the motel on the outskirts of Disney World in " The Florida Project ," to the Hollywood streets through the eyes of two trans sex workers in "Tangerine," the realist details and specificity of people's lives are the lifeblood of his films. "Anora" was no different.In fact, the culturally rich communities in the Brighton Beach and Coney Island were Baker's literal starting point. While on the podcast, the filmmaker discussed how his initial interest in making the film wasn't rooted only in character or story. Baker had long dreamed of finding a project he could shoot in Russian and Armenian Brooklyn neighborhoods, which he had gotten to know through his long-time collaborator Karren Karagulian, who plays Toros in the film and has starred in each of the director's films."Then, late in COVID, I made this fashion film that was sort of an homage to Walter Hill 's 'The Warriors,' which shot in that area, and I think it's what re-sparked that desire," said Baker.Keeping his ears open and actively searching for story ideas, Baker had one neighborhood consultant who told him a story she had personally experienced about being held captive. Her significant other, a Russian gangster, abandoned her, and she started to experience Stockholm syndrome and gravitated toward her captors. Baker had no desire to make a Russian gangster film, but that story would be the inspiration for the 25-minute set piece at the midpoint of "Anora.""How this young woman would deal with this very scary predicament while processing the fact that her significant other has just abandoned her, that was one of the early ideas — the images in my head that could take place in real time, play out in real time, while the audience is really experiencing this with her," he said.Before he even had his characters, Baker would build out from the 25-minute scene set in a living room, adding Ani's Cinderella story that proceeded it and the world of the Russian oligarch wealth that inspired it. But as he fleshed out the world, in particular the 25-minute set piece set that unfolded in real time in the oligarch's mansion, he started to realize he was envisioning spaces and a world he had not seen."So I was writing it obviously for a luxurious mansion somewhere in the Brighton Beach or Sheepshead Bay area, so I'm sitting in my apartment in West Hollywood, I typed in 'best and biggest mansion in Brighton Beach' and this one popped up," said Baker. When location manager Ross Brodar started to research the house Baker found online, he discovered it had actually been designed for a Russian oligarch, who at one point lived there, but sold it to a local Russian American who grew up in the neighborhood."[The owner] was so gracious and very enthusiastic about us shooting at his wonderful home," said Baker of the owner. "Obviously I wrote it for a mansion, but getting into that space and seeing it, 'Oh my gosh, I have so much to work with in here and play with here.'"Production designer Stephen Phelps was nervous when he first saw pictures of the space. "It was a little intimidating at first, because we had limited means and we had this big house," he said. Phelps simply didn't have the budget to set dress such wide open and vast spaces, but as he examined the home more closely, he discovered, "it was a Russian family who [live there] and it had their sense of decor that kind of fit along with what made sense for the movie.""Then when we got there, it was very lived-in," said Phelps. "I had to bring in like probably 20 percent of [the set dressing], but then it was mostly swapping rooms," as the production designer would create his own living room, bedrooms, by moving around and repurposing the family's furniture for what made sense for the movie. He would also remove several chairs and tables, "it was clearing it so [the camera] could actually see the architecture of the space." And, of course, Phelps' team would need props and set dressing they could destroy during the big stand-off between Ani and her captors. The Windows</h2>The wrap-around floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Mill Basin brought a great deal to the film. The view overlooked the surrounding area, supplying a backdrop that is distinct to the far end of Brooklyn neighborhoods."You can see the cars on the BQE and you feel — even though it doesn't feel like the New York we see a lot — it still feels like New York," said Baker. "I could have shot so much more, I actually undershot that house. I wish I could have done that house even more justice."For the low-budget film, the mansion itself would have do heavy lifting of capturing the extreme wealth of Ivan's family. But even the biggest homes, unlike sets, are designed to be experienced, not photographed, and so many movies and TV shows often struggle to capture the awe-inspiring grandeur of eight-and-nine figure residences on the screen."The views could be great, the beach house itself could be great, but as soon as the film crew gets there and you put a camera lens on it everything starts to feel really small. It is difficult to make those kind of places impressive in the way you want," said Phelps, who went on to explain why the "Anora" house, with its wraparound windows, was such a notable exception. "It really helps to have that big open space, letting the floor reflections shine and having the big windows to feel that space on screen."For the audience, through the widescreen (2:40: 1 aspect ratio), that combination of the windows, view, and wide open space bowls the viewer over — like Ani, we have never seen anything like this before. Phelps told IndieWire that with the awe the mansion supplies as a base, he could imply the oligarch's wealth in smaller ways that were more in line with the film's budget.The enormous windows also helped Baker, Phelps, and cinematographer Drew Daniels maintain the film's distinct texture and mood. Although "Anora" is a colorful film, its pops of color, especially red, like Ani's scarf, are set against a gray, wintery world of New York — it was a contrast that Baker said was instrinic to how he emotionally envisioned Ani's world. And in that sense, the enormous windows were a gift in how it allowed that gray winter backdrop to exist in the film's main interior. The shot of Ani against the snowy night her last night in the mansion is one of the film's most poetic and indelible.The windows though were also a constant variable — it wasn't always gray winter skies outside — that created headaches for such an ambitious film that only had 37 days to shoot. There was no way to always predict the changing weather outside, nor block out the light from windows which are in the background of a majority of the shots."Drew Daniels is amazing, and our wonderful gaffer Chris Hill, they really had a lot to deal with," said Baker. "The way that the mansion is designed is essentially one side of [it] is all glass looking out onto the water. There would be weather changes. Sometimes the clouds would part and sun would come out suddenly, 'We're like, no, we want this all to be gray, so what are we going to do?' But then we played with that. We allowed those moments, because those guys are just incredible craftsmen. They would be able to time certain sections to allow for flares and to allow for moments that would pop where suddenly [it] would become sunny. It's very subtle, there's subtle changes that I think work in the tone of the scene."For the 25-minute setpiece between Ani and her captors, Daniels and Hill helped create a schedule in which the scene would be shot in pieces over the course of eight days and supplied the production the best chance at consistent sunlight from the windows."Those big windows get dirty extremely fast," said Phelps. "We had a small crew, so I was one of the guys cleaning those windows every day. I ended up not having a long enough squeegee, so I ended up duct-taping it to a broom handle. Those windows were a whole thing to tackle."The image of a production designer of a leading Oscar candidate cleaning windows with a squeegee duct-taped to a broom in some ways captures the essence of Baker's "Anora," a small film that found a way to capture the big world of extreme wealth through the emotional lens of a young neighborhood woman with big dreams.

Sean Baker and production designer Stephen Phelps on the glass mansion overlooking Mill Basin, Brooklyn that became the year's best movie location.

Inside the ‘Anora’ House: The Story Behind the Year’s Most Essential Movie Location

House Speaker Mike Johnson hopes to keep a report on Donald Trump 's prospective attorney general under wraps. Johnson told reporters on Friday that he's going to ask the House Ethics Committee to keep a tight lid on any of their findings from a years-long probe into former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz . "I'm going to strongly request that the Ethics Committee not issue the report because that is not the way we do things in the House, and I think that would be a terrible precedent to set," Johnson said. The committee had been investigating Gaetz over allegations of drug use and sexual misconduct . Gaetz was previously the subject of an investigation by the Department of Justice over allegations that he had sex with a minor. The DOJ declined to charge Gaetz with any crime, and the ex-congressman has denied any wrongdoing. Gaetz resigned from the House on Wednesday. The committee canceled a planned Friday meeting at which it would have held a vote on releasing the report . During their probe, the panel reportedly heard testimony from a woman who says Gaetz had sex with her when she was underage . Senators on each side of the aisle have called for the report's release, noting the importance of transparency as Gaetz seeks the top DOJ spot. "I believe it is very important to maintain the House's traditions of not issuing ethics reports on people who are no longer [members] of Congress," Johnson said, per CNN. "I think it would open a Pandora's box. It's a very important rule that should be maintained. It has been broken once or twice; it should not have been."

The speaker said he would "strongly request" the House Ethics Committee to keep their Gaetz findings to themselves

"Not the way we do things": Johnson will ask Ethics Committee to bury Gaetz report

Relentless is how one can define Cam Johnson. We have all witnessed his on-court journey and what he can do, but we do not know too much about his off-court life. While the hoopster's career continues to thrive, his personal life, especially his relationship with girlfriend Kayla Michelle, stays largely under wraps. What makes their connection so special? Who is Cam Johnson's girlfriend Kayla? How long has the Brooklyn Nets star been dating?</h2> The Nets star has been quietly dating Kayla Michelle, a talented and multifaceted woman. Although the couple keeps their relationship private, their bond is evident when they're spotted together at events or on social media. Kayla's presence in Cam's life is a consistent one—she supports him at his games and shares glimpses of their relationship, even if subtly. The couple have kept it low-key, though they first appeared publicly together in 2021. Their social media accounts offer a small window into their life as a couple, yet they seem to intentionally keep it all private. Unlike other celebrity couples who often share 'family sneak peeks', Cam and Kayla remain quiet about the details of their dating history. Despite this, their connection is clear, as Kayla frequently shows her support for Cam at NBA games, cheering him on from the stands. While the exact timeline of their relationship remains a mystery, it's evident they've built something solid. They both seem to prioritize privacy, leaving fans and the media to speculate about everything! It's clear that their love isn't about seeking the spotlight but rather about supporting one another through their journey. With that said, do you know she manages so many things all by herself? What does Kayla Michelle do for a living? Is she a model?</h2> Kayla Michelle is more than just an NBA star's girlfriend. She's from New Jersey and graduated high studying neuroscience, psychology, and Spanish. She aspires to be a neuropsychologist. What's kept her in the spotlight was not only her beauty but her versatile career. With this one thing is clear, she has a strong sense of independence and ambition. She's carved out a successful career on her own terms, from modeling to becoming a CEO. She has done it all by herself.She started modeling in 2019 with the Agency Arizona,and since 2020 she has been the CEO of Replica Farm in her hometown of New Jersey, all while maintaining a supportive relationship with Cam. If you think this is it, then read further. Kayla is also an artist, and her creative side shines through in her work. So far, some of her best NBA acrylic paintings are of Kobe Bryant x Michael Jordan and the iconic night-night moment from the Paris Olympics 2024 of LeBron James x Stephen Curry from the Finals. On her Instagram account she shares her art, often showcasing her love of basketball and other sports. She has a deep connection to the hoop, not only through her boyfriend but through her expressions. Apart from her artistic side, she is also a passionate jockey, often sharing pictures on her social media. She is relatively active on social media, but not in the typical way. She's not someone who posts every moment of her life. Instead, Kayla uses her platforms to share her work and passions. On her Instagram account she has 13.3K followers and often posts images related to her modeling career and equestrian life. Her love for horses is visible and palpable, with many photos showcasing her vacation time. Running a farm and being an artist are no easy feats, but Kayla manages it all with grace. She is a true example of juggling various passions and professions while staying true to herself. Kayla's impressive career as a model, artist, jockey, and CEO shows her independence and ambition. "Confidence. Confidence and kindness make you beautiful. Looks don't matter. Nothing on the outside matters. I mean sure, I'm not going to lie and say that physical beauty can't get you far in life, but physical beauty truly doesn't mean anything if there's no substance to you. It's who you are on the inside that determines if you're truly beautiful. The way you think, that way you feel, the way you interact with others. That's what makes you beautiful," she's mentioned on her Hannah Noelle bio page. While much of her personal life remains a mystery, one thing is clear: Kayla Michelle is a force in her own right.

All you need to know about Cam Johnson’s career, relationship with girlfriend Kayla Michelle, and personal life.

Who Is Cam Johnson’s Girlfriend Kayla Michelle? All You Need To Know About the Nets Star’s Dating Life

Anyone who's seen Anora talks about the home-invasion scene. The 28- minute thriller sequence, a tour de force worthy of Hitchcock, comes about an hour in. Up until then, Sean Baker's Palme d'Or-winning movie has been an R-rated version of Pretty Woman. "Basically a romantic comedy, maybe a dirty romantic comedy, but a romantic comedy," says the American indie auteur. Anora, or Ani, a 23-year-old stripper living in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, played by Mikey Madison, hooks up with the slightly younger 21-year-old Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn, who has been called the Timothée Chalamet of Russia), the son of a Russian oligarch. What starts as a sex worker/client relationship — after a lap dance, Ivan asks if he can have Ani "exclusively" for a week — turns into something more. A whirlwind romance, involving a week of wild parties, and wilder sex, ends in Vegas, where Ivan, smitten and enticed by the freedom he thinks a U.S. green card will bring from his controlling parents back in Moscow, asks Ani to marry him. The proposal isn't quite the Hallmark version. "Three carats," says Ani, holding up her ring finger, who clearly still sees their relationship as primarily transactional. "What about 4?" counters Ivan. Cue dress/diamond ring/marriage montage. "I was very conscious of the fact that we were throwing these romantic-comedy tropes at the audience," says Baker. "For the first hour, I was trying to emulate the basic structure of those types of movies. Then it's about almost wanting the audience to throw them off and even shattering those tropes." When Ivan's folks hear of the wedding, they flip out. They call Toros, their fixer in Brighton Beach. The reluctant Armenian enforcer, played by Sean Baker regular Karren Karagulian, drops everything (he's in the middle of a christening for his godson), picks up a couple of goons and heads out to Ivan's to get this marriage annulled. But Ivan runs away, leaving Ani alone in the family McMansion. This is where the film pivots. The dirty rom-com, a raunchy take on the "hooker with a heart of gold" films we've seen a thousand times, morphs into something much darker and more disturbing (Federico Fellini's Nights of Cabria from 1957, starring Giulietta Masina as a hard-done-by prostitute with an indomitable spirit, was one of Baker's major inspirations for Anora). Toros and his thugs smash their way in and try and force Ani to give up her supposed fairy tale. But sweet and sassy Ani turns fierce and feral, fighting back with any means necessary. The scene goes slapstick action. Lamps smash, glass tabletops shatter. It's 28 minutes of pure mayhem. What starts funny turns nasty. There's choking. The goons tie Ani up. She keeps fighting: kicking, punching, biting. And screaming. Screaming a lot. "When we started shooting that scene, I was upstairs on my computer," says Anora producer Alex Coco. "All of a sudden I just started to hear these blood-curdling screams from downstairs. One after the other. It was terrifying." It was Mikey Madison's scream that got her the part. Baker first noticed Madison in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, in which she plays the crazed cultist who goes full Manson on Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio, a knife- wielding banshee who keeps coming until she is finally blowtorched. And it was Jan. 14, 2022, when Baker caught the opening night of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett's Scream sequel — in which Madison plays Amber, a sassy, funny teen who is revealed to be the knife-wielding killer Ghostface — and decided Anora would be his next project. "After the film, I turned to Samantha Quan, my producer and wife, and I said, 'We're calling her reps the minute we step out of the theater,' " Baker recalls. "It was the combination of both those roles — she was giving me humor, giving me attitude, and she had the intensity and the physicality Ani needed. And she screamed like crazy in both roles." Recalls Madison, "We met for coffee, Sean and Sammy and their two dogs, Bunsen and Bonnie. I was already a fan of Sean's work and the idea that he wanted to write a film for me was just amazing." As Baker sat down to sculpt the script with Madison as Anora, the actress threw herself into preparation. "I spent months going to clubs and talking to consultants and shadowing dancers," she recalls. "And physically training because it's a physically demanding job — you are on your feet the whole time, dancing the whole time." Says Baker, "Three, four months out, she started to do pole dancing lessons. Her father even installed a pole in her home." Such immersive prep is par for the course on a Sean Baker movie. The director of Tangerine, The Florida Project and Red Rocket is famous for combining scripted scenes with improvisation, throwing his actors, in character, into a world that feels as real as possible. The opening 10 minutes of Anora, showing Ani working the (real-life) strip club HQ, were entirely improvised. "We just wanted to be a little fly on the wall, watch Ani work, eavesdrop a little bit," notes Anora cinematographer Drew Daniels, who shot the film old school, on 35mm magazines using a wide-field anamorphic lens. "We set up, rolled an entire mag, then did it from another angle, rolled an entire mag. Just letting [Madison] get into character, run the floor, showing how the ladies work." Adds Madison: "I had a wireless mic and an earpiece for Sean to give me direction, but the music is blasting, people are talking, laughing. So there were times when I couldn't hear, so I had to just be Ani, walk from client to client, trying to pick them up, have a conversation, talking to my co-workers. I've never had a director see me in that way, trust me to want to collaborate on this level. I've honestly dreamed of having this kind of relationship with a director for my entire career, but I don't know if I ever thought it would happen." There were times when Baker didn't think Anora would happen, either. He'd been trying to make a film set in the Russian-Armenian community in Brighton Beach for at least 15 years. Baker became fascinated with the neighborhood through his friendship with Karagulian, who has appeared in all of his films, going back to his student debut, Four Letter Words in 2000. "He's my Bob De Niro," Baker jokes. After making Prince of Broadway in 2008, Baker and Karagulian co-wrote a script for a buddy gangster film about Brighton Beach mobsters. "We went out to producers, but for the part I was going to play, the Armenian gangster, they wanted someone like Brad Pitt, an American doing an accent," says Karagulian. "Because Sean is so dedicated to authenticity, he would just refuse them all." Instead of going the Hollywood route, Baker carved out an indie path with a string of low-budget dramedies — Starlet, Tangerine, The Florida Project, Red Rocket — that looked at different aspects of sex work. He was still interested in setting a film in the Russian-Armenian community of Brighton Beach, but the idea of doing a gangster film "just didn't appeal to me anymore," he says. "To be honest, it never really appealed to me." Years later, Baker heard a story about a woman who got kidnapped and held as collateral because her husband, a wannabe Russian American gangster, owed money to the mob. "She realizes she married the wrong man and starts to gravitate toward her captors in a Stockholm syndrome-type thing," says Baker. "I found that idea very intriguing, but the mob bit didn't interest me." But, he thought, what if the wife was a sex worker and her husband wasn't a mobster? "I was on a Zoom call with a Russian American consultant for another project, and I pitched the idea: 'What if she was a sex worker who married the son of a Russian oligarch?' She laughed out loud," Baker recalls. "That was my validation. I knew we had our high-concept plot line, our one-sentence pitch." It was clear from the start that Karagulian would play Toros, the put-upon Armenian lackey who has been babysitting spoiled rich-kid Ivan for years. Baker was at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021 with Red Rocket when he spotted Russian actor Yuri Borisov in Juho Kuosmanen's Compartment No. 6. He quickly cast him to play Igor, a Toros-employed goon who secretly admires Ani's fighting spirit. "There are a lot of parallels between Yuri's character [in Compartment No. 6] and the character in this film," says Baker. "He's presented as somebody you assume is this thug, then the stereotype is shattered, and you realize he's very much a teddy bear." It was Borisov who suggested Baker look at Eydelshteyn for Ivan. "We'd met in Berlin when we both had films in the festival and we'd gone out drinking together," Borisov recalls. "I thought he had the energy, the character, to fit the part [of Ivan]." In Russia, Eydelshteyn's a heartthrob star — "I play the cute romantic guy with the curly hair," he jokes — but he had never done a role in English. When Anora's producers asked him to tape an audition, he freaked out. "They kept asking for the tape, and I said I didn't have time, but I did have time, it was just scary to me, all these lines in English," recalls Eydelshteyn. "Finally, I did it in one go and sent it off." Eydelshteyn made a distinctive costume choice for his audition. It was the first thing that jumped out at Quan. "I opened up my laptop, I watched the first 10 seconds and slammed it shut again," she says. "I called to Sean: 'You have to see this!' " In the tape, Eydelshteyn is in his apartment, his back to the camera, looking out on the Moscow skyline. "He was completely naked!" says Quan. "His butt right out there, wearing a beanie, sunglasses and vaping as he delivered his lines." Explains Eydelshteyn: "I smoked vape the whole time, so I could take breaks when I forgot my lines. I got nervous, jumping from English to Russian. One time I forget part of the scene, and I start to improvise a freestyle rap, half of English, half of Russian. When Sean saw it, he said: 'That's so Ivan! You catch his vibe. Let's build this character together.' " And why did he do the audition nude? "Well, I thought Ivan is rich, he should have rich clothes," says Eydelshteyn, "but I didn't have the money for those, so I thought, 'OK, I'll just go naked.' " Making Anora, the film's producers faced a similar challenge: how to show the lives of the obscenely wealthy on an indie film budget. "This is Sean's first movie that deals with rich people in any way," says Quan, "and putting people onscreen who look like they have a lot of money costs a lot of money." Notes producer Coco: "For costumes on The Florida Project or Red Rocket, a lot of times we could just go to a thrift store. Now we needed a mansion, we needed a suite in Vegas, a private airplane. It became a matter of, by any means necessary. It was: Who knows a billionaire, who knows someone who has a private airplane who will do us a favor?" While it might seem unlikely given his filmography, Baker knows a fair amount of rich people. "My circles run wide," he says. "I can be close to affluence if I want to be. I know people who are worth $800 million because they funded my previous films. I went to school in New Jersey with people who are in the one percent." And while he had never previously directed a movie about the extremely opulent, Baker knew what their lives looked like thanks to a gig filming high-end wedding videos. "When I was around 30 years old and doing whatever I could to stay in the industry, I got a job shooting and editing these high-end, Martha Stewart-level weddings," he recalls. "A lot of Russian American and Ukrainian American weddings. It really helped in creating that world for Anora." When it came to finding Ivan's family mansion, Anora's production team lucked out. Baker googled "biggest, fanciest mansion in Brighton Beach." The first hit was a waterfront compound in Mill Basin once owned by Russian oligarch Galina Anisimova. (His daughter, Anna, was profiled by New York magazine under the headline: "The Russian-American Paris Hilton.") "Sean's like, 'That's it, that's what I want.' And it was our job to get it," says Quan. "And, amazingly, we did." The Mill Basin mansion is the stage for that pivotal 28- minute home-invasion scene that transitions Anora from the rough-and-ready comedy improvisation of the first hour into more controlled thriller territory. "When I first started working with Sean, I thought he was going to be a very run-and-gun director, very improvisational, kind of messy, because that was the image I had of him from seeing his previous films," says Daniels. "But actually, Sean is a perfectionist. He's particularly obsessive about the details, very adamant about what he wants in the frame. That really shows in the home invasion." Baker and Daniels composed the sequence with clear framing and precise blocking — "almost like a Hong Kong action film" says Daniels. When Toros and his henchmen storm in, the sequence is locked down, with a dolly tracking them in a wide shot. "Then it shifts halfway through, and it goes into handheld when they're yanking off Ani's wedding ring and she's screaming. It goes crazy," says Daniels. "Then, when they have her tied up and Toros is negotiating with her to help them go find Ivan, the camera is locked down again." Gritty 1970s New York thrillers like The French Connection and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three were a touchstone. To get that look, Baker not only insisted on shooting on film, using vintage Lomo lenses, but tried to shoot every scene "as they would have done in 1973," says Coco. For an aerial shot of the mansion, instead of using a drone, "we got a helicopter, and just shot two mags, the camera operator hanging out of the door." For the mansion's interior, production designer Stephen Phelps worked mainly with what was on hand. "I found these Versace robes in the bathroom next door and thought, 'Oh they should wear these,' " he remembers. "We got lucky because it was a Russian family who lived there, so their decor and sense of style fit what we were doing. But basically it was about removing a lot of furniture so that we had a cleaner slate, more space to give the place the feel of a cold palace." Lighting that palace, Daniels says, was a nightmare. "So many windows!" he says, shuddering. "The home-invasion scene is 28 to 30 pages of script, and it's all in real time. We're shooting for like 10 days straight, and we got every single weather imaginable over those 10 days. On a cloudy day, we had to shoot; on a rainy day and when the sun was blasting in — making that all feel like 30 minutes over one day was quite a feat. It doesn't look like we're lighting anything — the idea of the movie was to feel very natural and unlit — but believe me, we're doing a lot." The choreography for the scene was tight, but the dialogue was largely improvised. Ani is talking a mile a minute. When one of Toros' goons casually calls her a prostitute, she lets loose with a barrage of f-bombs. "I didn't want Ani to stop talking, not for a minute. Even if her life is in danger, she's not going to back down," says Madison. "So yeah, that sequence was exhausting to shoot." Not so the many often-athletic, always hilarious sex scenes that mark Ivan and Ani's courtship. The first plays like a goofy dance sequence: Ivan doing a summersault on the bed, stripping off his pants in the process, something Eydelshteyn came up with on the spot and Baker decided to put into the film. "The atmosphere on the set for the sex scenes was really funny because that was their function — to be fun," says Eydelshteyn. "It's part of Ani and Ivan's celebration, the first part of their fairy tale." For each sex scene, Baker and Quan would demonstrate the position, note the camera angle and break down the shots. "It was usually one shot, not a whole sequence; they were less sex scenes than sex shots," says Quan. "We'd do a couple of takes and move on. Sean was very clear he would never show anyone in a way that would feel exploitative or unflattering, that would see them as objects." "The scenes were funny and fun to shoot," adds Madison. "Sean is dedicated to portraying sex work in a real and honest way, and I think it's good to see Ani doing her job." For Baker, demystifying and destigmatizing sex work — be it the transgender streetwalkers in Tangerine, the washed-up porn star of Red Rocket or the single mom in The Florida Project turning tricks to make ends meet — has become something of a mission. At the press conference for Anora in Cannes, Baker called for decriminalization of all sex work. "It's a livelihood, it's a career, it's a job, and it's one that should be respected," he said. But his focus on the profession in his films has as much to do with cinematic history as with social justice. Anora deliberately evokes the movie tropes of rom-coms in order to subvert them, to tell stories, says Quan, "that he feels just aren't getting made in Hollywood." Anora definitely doesn't get a Hollywood ending. By the final reel, Ivan has flown back home to Russia and Ani's dream marriage is bust. She's had to relinquish her 4-carat engagement ring. Igor, thug turned almost ally, is driving Ani back to her dingy Brooklyn apartment. But Igor has managed to pocket that 4-carat ring. He hands it over. In the film's final and most controversial scene, Ani initiates sex with Igor in the car. Midway through, he stops her, holding her as she breaks down and cries. "Everyone's talking about the 28-minute home-invasion scene, but that final scene was actually the hardest to shoot," says Coco. "So much had to happen in order to pull that off. It was planned as a half-day shoot, and we ended up shooting it over three days." Says Baker: "It was the moment I felt all the pressure of the world on me. I had this ending in my head very early on, working with this Stockholm syndrome thing about Ani gravitating toward her captor, but I wanted to take it to another level and really explore the complexity of the moment to interpret the intimacy. It was designed to be interpreted. But at the same time, I still needed to nail all the cues, all those technical and emotional cues." There were four of them packed into the tiny car: Mikey and Yuri up front with Daniels filming, framing the pair in a tight two shot, and Baker in the back seat watching the monitor. Production designer Phelps was on the roof, shaking a cardboard box of fake snow over the windows so that the drift would slowly pile up during the scene. "We tried to shoot it for multiple days, and there was always something wrong, the lighting, the snow, the windshield wipers," says Madison. "It was the culmination of so much emotion, when Ani releases all the feelings she's been holding in for so long, and I found myself in a similar headspace, very vulnerable and scary." Says Baker: "I remember that one take, when she sheds that single tear, and it was like Nights of Cabria, where Giulietta Masina has that single tear in the end. It was like an unintentional nod toward film that helped inspire it. But I still wasn't sure, wasn't 100 percent sure, until I saw the dailies. And then I thought, 'Yeah, I think we got it.' "

Dive into the making of 'Anora', a film blending romance and thrilling action, directed by Sean Baker and starring Mikey Madison.

Making of ‘Anora’: How Sean Baker Turns the Rom-Com on Its Head

Firmly established as one of Europe's biggest dedicated showcases for movies from Latin America, Spain and Portugal, Huelva Ibero-American Film Festival celebrates its 50th edition with a bang, with a high-caliber main Competition, a new showcase on Spain. Following, some highlights and trends at this year's festival, which runs Nov. 15-23. Paz Vega : A Director is Born Paz Vega will accept at Huelva a Premio Luz at this year's opening ceremony. It comes at an opportune time. Known to date as a performer – star of Adam Sandler comedy "Spanglish" and Julio Medem's carnal physiological odyssey "Sex and Lucia" – Vega has just bowed her first feature, the heavily autobiographical "Rita," to upbeat reviews. Major plaudits to not only the central performance of the eponymous Rita, a loveable seven year-old moppet growing up in 1984 working class Seville, but Vega's helming. "Rita' is shot with an exquisite taste for light, framing and point of view," says Spanish newspaper El Pais. "Rita" has begun to rack up major market sales , an uphill challenge for a drama. A director is born.A Rising Tide: Latin America's Production Build Back in the day, Huelva had to scrape for a great competition lineup. Now it rolls off both the escalating volume of Latin American and Spanish movie production as Latin America has built film schools and passed film laws from the early 2000s. Latin America produced 179 features in 2003, 746 in 2023, according to Omdia. Huelva received 1,600 submissions this year, up from just over 1,000 in 2016, Huelva Festival Director Manuel H. Martín tells Variety. Films need festivals more than ever as marketing springboards. But festival slots are limited, Martín notes. If Huelva didn't exist, somebody would invent it. Cannes, Venice, Berlin, SXSW, Tribeca Winners at Huelva Eight of the 13 Huelva Competition titles this year were selected for either Cannes, Venice, Sundance, Toronto, Berlin, Tribeca or SXSW. More to the point, five won silverware, led by Audience Awards for "Bionico's Bachata" at SXSW and "Memories of a Burning Body" at Berlin, a Nora Ephron Award for "Don't You Let Me Go" and Venice Days' Best Director plaudit for "Manas." "Audiences rate the films. We're getting very high marks," says Martín. A Window Onto Latin American Cinema Huelva's main Competition also takes the pulse of current Latin American filmmaking. Titles vary in genre, auteurist viewpoints and themes, Martín notes. A few common threads hold the selection together. Five of its 13 titles have a thriller edge, a trend which dates back to "The Secret in Their Eyes," Juan José Campanella's influential Oscar winner, Martín suggests. Nearly all are social issue movies, though the issues range from the emotional toll of activism or revenge, class dynamics, escape from patriarchy and sexual abuse, or belated freedom, intolerance and political makeover. Above all, nine movies in the lineup are first or second features. "We're very happy to be one of the points of departure for many directors with long careers," says Martín.Framing Spain In its major innovation this year, Huelva has added a section Acento, framing a clutch of the most exciting Spanish movies of the year, if Variety is any judge. Making the cut is Albert Serra 's San Sebastián's 2024 Golden Shell winner "Afternoons of Solitude," highly appreciated by the international press, and "They Will Be Dust," Carlos Marques-Marcet's spirited euthanasia drama which won Toronto's biggest trophy, its Platform Award. "La guitarra flamenca de Yerai Cortes," a portrait of the rising star on Spain's flamenco scene, merited a special mention at San Sebastian's New Directors. Buzz Titles Variety called "Afternoons of Solitude" "extraordinary" and "a major work from a richly maturing filmmaker," while describing Huelva Competition title "Igualada" as a "stirring, behind-the-scenes documentary," and "Linda" the "best kind of thriller, one that forces its audience to maintain rapt attention." Currying bullish word of mouth on its San Sebastian bow, "La guitarra flamenca de Yerai Cortes," the debut film of Antón Alvarez, better known as singer-songwriter C. Tangana , has dazzling set-pieces but it's in his narrative teasing out of Cortés' most profound sense of tragedy, that he really shows his narrative chops. Gender Pivot Only one woman director won Huelva's top Golden Columbus in its first 42 years: Beatriz Flores' Silva in 2001 with "This Tricky Life" ("En la puta vida"), a blockbuster in Uruguay. Since 2017, films by a woman director, directors or co-director have won six out of seven years at Huelva. Nearly 50% of Huelva's lineup this year is directed by women, says Martín. "We've been implementing [the move towards genre parity] little by little, not only in programming but hiring staff," he adds. Maybe the biggest Spanish film of the year, "Los Tigres," from Seville's Alberto Rodríguez, is set and shot in Huelva. As its own production power, Andalusia is an increasingly potent fiction force. Talento Andaluz, a Huelva fest section, frames its documentarians. A historical mystery feature, MLK Producciones/RTVE's "Tierra de Atlantes," explores the reality of Phoenician civilization Tartessos. "Fandango" mixes live performance and archival footage to capture the legacy of Huelva-based flamenco fandango."Francisco De Saavedra, Puño y Letra de la Historia," from Mundo Ficciones/RTVE, portrays a key figure of Spain's frustrated Enlightenment; Atin Aya," portrays the shutterbug whose photos of Guadalquivir backwaters helped inspire Rodríguez's "Marshland."Huelva's Strategic Timing One of Spain's last big festivals of the year, Huelva also takes place just over two weeks before Ventana Sur, Latin America's biggest film market. Nearly all competition players have sales agents. Most will attend Ventana Sur. A big prize at Huelva won't make a sales deal. But it's one more bonus as sellers battle to snag buys in a fast evolving Latin American distribution market, no longer dominated by global streamer pan-regional pick-ups. "Our main aim is to aid these films diffusion. If we help them travel further, that's great," says Martín. Dominican Republic Focus Rolling off a framework pact signed at the 2022 Cannes Festival with Dominican state agency DGCine, Huelva will present three projects from its Film Residency Program. La Voz Dominicana," the first fiction feature from admired documentarian Óliver Olivo ("Yaque") charts how in a coup d'état, a group of revolutionaries force a producer to falsify history. A hybrid doc, Mariú Benzo's "De Qué Hablamos Cuando Hablamos de Lipo..." captures a cineaste from a family of doctors shooting a playful documentary on plastic surgery. "Historias de Autobús" frames six separate stories, ranging from a thriller to drama to suspense, all taking part on a bus. Luis Ignacio Rodríguez, part of Malaga Talent, directs.

The 2024 Huelva Ibero-American Film Festival delivers a snapshot on large energies driving filmmaking in Latin America and Spain.

Huelva Honors ‘Sex and Lucía’ Star Paz Vega, Frames the Energies of Next Gen Latin American, Spanish Cinema

When the Canadian playwright Jordan Tannahill moved to London in 2016, it was the week after the EU referendum. "For my partner at the time, who was British, it was a devastating kind of discombobulation," Tannahill says. "It shattered not just his conception of his country, but his job prospects. And there was such tension within his family around Brexit – seeing how it drove a wedge between them was really quite stark." Tannahill and his partner were living in a flat by London City Airport, where the planes taking off would create "this low, reverberant sound that was just ever present". The writer was also starting to chafe against the confines of his relationship. "It was loving but very staid. I felt like I was living the life of a middle-aged man," Tannahill says – he's now 36. "I had so many desires: I wanted to be out all night dancing with others in this kind of libidinal state of release at a rave." He also had an urge to explore London's fetish scene. "I think Claire's journey is one that mirrored my own," Tannahill says. "She's seeking the collective ecstatic." Claire is the lead character of The Listeners, the novel Tannahill wrote while he was going through these transitional experiences, and which was published in 2021. It's now a four-part BBC drama starring Rebecca Hall, adapted by Tannahill and directed by Janicza Bravo, who made the acclaimed film Zola . The series has been produced by Element Pictures, who had a hit with Normal People . And like the Sally Rooney adaptation, which launched Paul Mescal , the cast of The Listeners contains a striking young Irish actor in 20-year-old Ollie West. "He's a real star," Tannahill says. "And Rebecca delivers such a bravura performance – she's in essentially every frame of the series, so it's an unrelenting task for her. But she really digs deep." The Listeners tells the story of a middle-aged English teacher who starts to hear a mysterious hum that is inaudible to her husband and daughter – but one of her students, Kyle (played by West), divulges that he can hear it too. The pair embark on a transgressive relationship that gets Claire fired and puts her family life under severe pressure – which in turn draws her closer to a small community of people who can also hear the hum. But, of course, they are not quite what they seem. With the power of a fable and the verve of a thriller, The Listeners skilfully explores some of the defining themes of our age: the contested nature of truth; the way women are often disbelieved when they talk about their own bodies; the way wellness culture and new age spiritualism can shade into eco-fascism and the anti-vax movement; the search for community and a sense of meaning in an atomised society; and the overwhelming human need to feel that one is being heard and understood. "Claire and Kyle are two unlikely interlocutors who find each other," Tannahill says. The pair are not sexually involved ("I didn't want them to commit a crime together"), but their relationship certainly comes, as Tannahill says, "to the cusp of what is permissible". The discomfiting nature of their bond is emphasised by the casting: despite an age gap of more than 20 years, Claire and Kyle look strangely alike. The Listeners was inspired by a real-life incident in Windsor, Ontario, where some residents reported hearing a low vibration that was giving them nosebleeds and insomnia, but to which most locals were oblivious. Even after the noise was traced to a blast furnace in a steel plant, which was then decommissioned, some continued to complain that they could hear it. "What I loved about the story is that it spoke to the nature of shared belief," says Tannahill, who is talking while suffering from a bout of Covid in his New York apartment, a few days after his marriage to actor Brandon Flynn . "How do we create consensus around what is our shared reality? Truth has been such a contested landscape in our interpersonal lives, but also in our broader social and political spheres. Do you remember that summer when people in Britain were setting 5G masts on fire? And we can point to America for the ways in which the rise of QAnon and other conspiracies have not just infected the political discourse, but caused rifts between husbands and wives, parents and children." Although the novel was set in the US, the BBC wanted the TV version to be set in Britain, and after Bravo and Tannahill spent time visiting potential locations in the north of England, it was shot on the outskirts of Manchester. "We wanted a neighbourhood that abutted against wilderness, a threshold space between that which is civilised and that which is untamed," Tannahill says. "And there are these visual indicators of human intervention within that landscape like pylons and wind turbines, which could be sources of the hum." In haunting scenes, Claire and Kyle puzzle about the hum at what Mancunians will recognise is the observatory Jodrell Bank, or abandon themselves to sonic ecstasy on the moors. Nonetheless, The Listeners keeps its setting ambiguous. "We wanted it to exist on the plane of a parable, maybe not dissimilar from Todd Haynes's film Safe, where it's a deeply specific suburb but it could be in any number of cities." The Listeners is the nearest Tannahill has come to the mainstream – "I love the rigour and, of course, the legacy of the BBC," he says. He has spent his career in the avant garde, inspired by people such as the film-maker Derek Jarman and dancer Michael Clark: "Hail the New Puritan, his film with Charles Atlas, was such a formative creative experience." He grew up in Ottawa in a religious household, started writing plays in his teens and, after going to film school in Toronto, set up a leftfield art space in the city called Videofag with his ex-partner. His plays began to be staged in larger theatres in Canada and in Europe; when he moved to London, the revered British playwright Caryl Churchill wrote a letter to support his visa application. In the UK, Tannahill worked on two pieces with the choreographer Akram Khan, and directed a virtual reality work about the death of a parent, Draw Me Close, with London's National Theatre and the National Film Board of Canada; the Guardian's Xan Brooks described it as "unsettling and moving in about equal measure" when it debuted at the Venice film festival. Tannahill was also fulfilling his long-suppressed desire for "queer kinship and experimentation and pleasure" at London raves such as Adonis and Inferno, as well as on the fetish scene – pictures on his Instagram from the time show him in Lycra wrestling singlets, a puppy mask or entirely encased in rubber. In the pandemic, however, "all my theatre work came to a grinding halt and I had no income at all". So Tannahill decided to put his kinks to work. "I was doing fetish sex work with, at times, very high-paying clients," he says. "People like CEOs of large companies or junior ministers of the Tory party – people who are often living very closeted lives." Through fetish, he says, "you're seeking this sublimation of the self, which in some ways Claire also seeks in The Listeners, this almost spiritual reckoning that fetish can offer. So I was doing a lot of pup transformations of clients and gimp play. It's a craft – it really drew on my narrative skills. So much of it is storytelling and mutual make believe. And that was how I sustained myself for three years." Unlike public figures of the past whose sexuality made them vulnerable to tabloid exposure, Tannahill doesn't believe in hiding his kinks away. "My sexual expression of self and my artistic expression of self are completely intertwined," he says. "To live shamelessly is how I want to be in the world." His next project is a punchily titled theatre work called Prince Faggot, which he describes as "an ensemble of queer and trans performers which imagines a scenario in which the future heir of the British throne comes out as a gay man". It will be produced by his friend Jeremy O Harris, the writer of Slave Play , and "it seems very, very likely that it will star a Brit of note". It doesn't sound like a prime candidate for a BBC adaptation, but Tannahill is unfazed. "I really want to pursue my curiosity, not my ambition," he says. "I'm just really trying to stay true to the stories that get under my skin." Certainly, The Listeners will prove hard to top – as well as a novel and a TV show, it also exists as an opera, by composer Missy Mazzoli, who adapted it from Tannahill's original 10-page outline of the story. "I had very little to do with it, I didn't go to a single rehearsal, and when I went to the premiere in Oslo I was completely blown away," he says. "The curtain raised and there was a whole streetscape extending to the horizon, and 40 people on stage singing with a full orchestra. I was like, wow, the story that was in my head is now on the same stage as Aida or Rigoletto. It's operating on the scale of myth." The Listeners starts on BBC One on Tuesday at 9pm.

Jordan Tannahill has turned his novel, The Listeners, into a tense, timely BBC drama inspired by cults and conspiracy theories. He talks Brexit, banging raves and exploring kinks with closeted junior Tory ministers

‘Gimp play is a craft’: how a Canadian writer went from fetish sex work to creating powerful BBC drama

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Several teams claimed class 'AA' SoDak 16 wins on Thursday and that included Harrisburg, Jefferson and Roosevelt. Harrisburg claimed a 3-0 sweep of Douglas. Jefferson tallied a sweep of Pierre. Roosevelt needed four sets, but still went on to claim the 3-1 win over Lincoln. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com. "It's unimaginable to me that I could be deported after having given so much to have what I have now, only for it to be stripped from me and consolidated into a duffle bag if I was sent back." Laura Prepon and husband Ben Foster are divorcing after six years of marriage, according to documents obtained by People. On Nov. 12, Foster filed for divorce from the That 70s Show actress citing "irreconcilable differences" and that they were "live together successfully as husband and wife," per People. Foster declared their date of separation was ... Chicago P.D. brings back a ghost from Dante Torres' (Benjamin Levy Aguilar) past in Season 12, Episode 7, "Contrition," but it isn't Dante who is in danger going into the finale, but Kiana Cook (Toya Turner). In "Contrition," we see the team take on a case that once again leads back to Gloria Perez, the ... Before Taylor Krause realized that now-husband Garrett Josemans was "hot," they each struggled with physical attraction. "To be completely honest, Garrett and I were not attracted to each other at first," Taylor, 30, said during the Wednesday, November 13, episode of "The Viall Files" podcast, which coincidentally premiered on their first wedding anniversary. "We were Though the peace of single life can't be beat, it's always nice to have someone to curl up with at the end of the day. The path to your next cuddle buddy is only a click away with our singles horoscope. Alexandra Daddario's super-rare selfie shows how she's doing after welcoming her child a week ago, and shared a truly stunning, raw look into her postpartum body. On Nov 13, Daddario shared a truly stunning, raw postpartum snapshot of herself and her newborn. She shared the photo to her Instagram with the caption reading, "I play ... Captain America: Brave New World's trailers depicted shots of a funeral, and a new theory has been making the rounds, suggesting it is Thaddeus Ross' funeral, counter to fans' initial and popular belief that it was the elderly Steve Rogers' funeral. Will Thaddeus Ross die? Is it Thaddeus Ross' funeral that Sam Wilson's Captain America [...] Laura Prepon's estranged husband Ben Foster revealed they split only days after their former friend Danny Masterson was sentenced to decades behind bars, In Touch can exclusively report. In his divorce petition, Ben, 44, listed the date of marriage as May 25, 2018. He said the date of separation was September 9, 2023. The date of...

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Several teams claimed class ‘AA’ SoDak 16 wins on Thursday and that included Harrisburg, Jefferson and Roosevelt. Harrisburg claimed a 3-0 sweep of Douglas. Jefferson tallied a sweep of Pierre. Roosevelt needed four sets, but still went on to claim the 3-1 win over Lincoln.

Harrisburg, Jefferson, Roosevelt win on Thursday

At the heart of Sean Baker 's film Anora is Mikey Madison . Having seen her work in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Scream, Baker cast her as Ani, a young woman working as a dancer in a New York strip joint and living in Brooklyn's Brighton Beach neighborhood. When Ani impulsively marries a rich but immature client (Mark Eydelshteyn), his oligarch father and mother descend from Russia in a bid to annul the union. For Madison, preparation and authenticity were key, so she set about not only learning Russian and dance, but cultivating a deep understanding of the world of sex workers.DEADLINE: I read a piece written by a sex worker saying your character in Anora is the most respectful and real representation they've seen.MIKEY MADISON: That was the ultimate goal, I think, for me, and why I wanted to do so much research and dive into this and how important it was for this character, so that's so wonderful. I read Andrea [Werhun]'s memoir. It's called Modern Whore. It's amazing. She's a beautiful writer, and she talks about her life as a sex worker, as an escort and a dancer in her early twenties. And just the way that she spoke about her sexuality and her life, her sense of humor, was something I just really connected with, and I was so intrigued by her as a person. I felt that Ani would be able to relate to her in some way. I liked how she spoke about things. She was also a consultant on the film, and she was able to answer lots of questions, talk through certain scenes with me, and it added so much nuance and so many important layers to the film and character, little, tiny things that only a sex worker would know that we were able to put into the film.DEADLINE: What's an example of one of the small things she told you about that mattered?MADISON: Andrea was talking about locker room chatter, things that you say to someone, what food she brings as her lunch to eat in the break room, little things like that. Kennady [Schneider], my dance instructor, taught me how to blow dry my Pleasers [shoes] so that they fit my feet—all these little details that were so important. She told stories that really inspired me and, I think, informed some of the improvisation. And Luna [Sofía Miranda], who plays Lulu in the film, we became friends, and she's wonderful and was so generous sharing stories and had such a great sense of humor about her job. It's hard to think of just one thing, because that was everything for bringing the character to life. If I hadn't have done that, it would be a completely different character and story, I think. It was the most important thing I did.DEADLINE: Lindsay Normington, who plays Diamond, is also a stripper and activist for sex workers in LA. What did you learn from her?MADISON: She's an amazing person, incredible dancer, just a funny, beautiful, intelligent woman. And honestly, while we were filming, we didn't have a chance to get to know each other very well, which I actually think was a blessing because I really like her as a person, but we needed to have that distance, I think, to be able to say and do the things that we do to each other. She was just very committed to throwing herself into those scenes with me. There's a scene where we fight each other, and filming it, I think it was even more brutal than what is shown on screen. We were really just scrapping with each other. And there's not many actresses who want to put themselves in that situation and get in there with me, and she was so willing to do it. She brought so much realism to her character, and her lived experience, I think, really informed her performance. Working alongside all of these women, where I'm the only person who does not have that lived experience, really pushed me to want to dive even deeper into the research and the character and that community because I didn't want to stand out in a bad way. I wanted Ani to be this real, authentic, honest person and the depiction of sex work to mirror that.DEADLINE: You mentioned improvisation. How much was there?MADISON: While she's working, the first however many minutes of the film, it's all improvised. Her dancing, giving dances, talking to men, they just followed me around with a camera and I had a wireless mic, and I would just walk up to people, men, try to pick them up, talk to my coworkers. And they filmed that with a completely live club, so dancers were everywhere, music was blasting, customers were all over the place. With the research I had done and also my background as an actor, I was able to intuitively look at someone who I've never spoken to before, try to understand what kind of conversation they want, what kind of person they are, and try to cultivate some kind of chemistry and try to get them into a room for some dances. Obviously, it was contained and there's a safety net under all of it, but I think the lines are blurred a little bit, because there's not a camera right here, shooting an interaction. I think that the relationships and the conversations I had were much more free and honest because of that.DEADLINE: You did your own stunts, including a big fight scene with you and two men, that's both disturbing and then funny and then disturbing again, tell me about shooting that?MADISON: It's a really important sequence in the film, and I really liked the way that Sean and I were able to play with different genres and infusing comedy and this slapstick element into those scenes because it makes people laugh, and I think it also challenges an audience. I've heard people say afterwards that they felt really bad for laughing, or conflicted by laughing at her in those moments, and I think it's interesting to challenge an audience like that. And so for me as an actress, I was aware of the absurdity of some of these scenes, the absurdity and the chaos of it. But obviously, Ani is not. To her, she's fighting for her life in so many different ways, fighting to save her marriage, and also she doesn't know what's going to happen to her, she's fighting for her life too. I think because of the way we shot it, you're pulled back, and you're able to see the absolute absurd chaos of the situation. And I think that it makes people laugh, because in these dark moments, I think that there is some humor, which is one of the reasons I love Sean as a filmmaker, because he takes a scene like that, which could, with a different filmmaker, have a very different outcome for the character, and he makes it something that you wouldn't expect. And it was interesting to play with that.DEADLINE: What did you know or love about Sean's work before you met him?MADISON: I had seen Tangerine before I knew I was going to meet with him, and The Florida Project. I love the characters that he creates and the world that he is interested in, and so to me, he's always been that very singular filmmaker that I've admired. And since knowing him, I've now seen all of his films, and I think that he's a genius. He's an amazing filmmaker, and he dedicates his life to telling really interesting, honest, truthful, authentic stories. And as an actress, it's really exciting to be a part of that.DEADLINE: You had to speak some Russian for this role. So you didn't know any before?MADISON: No, I knew nothing. A couple curse words really, but that was it. And so I started from zero and tried to learn as much as possible within a short period of time. It's a very complex language. Also, Ani needed to speak it in a specific way. It needed to sound like she was speaking at a certain level. She wasn't completely fluent, so I needed to keep that in mind. Because the thing about Ani is she's always on the outside looking in. She never fits in. Even if she's trying to speak fluently, I never wanted it to be perfect. I wanted there to be something that separates her from the others. And so it was really difficult. I dedicated hours each day to trying to learn as much as I could and to understand what I was saying and what the other actors were saying to me. It took months and months. It was the most important thing at that time that I was doing. I dedicated my life to it. DEADLINE: Tell me about connecting with Yura Borisov, who plays Igor. There's something so touching about the understanding between you.MADISON: Yura is an amazing actor, a very deep, intelligent actor. And there was always something there, I think. There was definitely a chemistry for us to build off, or a curiosity for each other. And I think both of our characters are outsiders in a way, and they both have this loneliness that connects them in some way. But he and I were able to cultivate an interesting chemistry, where you can feel something palpable between them, even if Ani's pushing away because she's has more important things to focus on. But he was constantly surprising me, he brought such an interesting perspective to his character. And he's one of the most talented actors I've ever worked with and one of the nicest people as well, so I'm so lucky. We're so lucky that Yura's in this movie and American audiences get to see his genius as a performer because he's so special. DEADLINE: Both your parents are psychologists. Did that influence you wanting to be an actor, to do this job that requires a deep understanding of how people work?MADISON: I don't know any different because it's just how I was raised, by two psychologists. And growing up, everyone's favorite joke was, "Oh, do they psychoanalyze you?" And I'm like, "Probably, I just don't know that they are." And so I think that now I'm able to have some hindsight, I do feel that both my parents are very deep people. They have a curiosity for humanity. They just have this understanding, or a care for people. Growing up with them, I'm able to have a deeper understanding and a curiosity as well for people and why they do things and psychology. So yeah, I do think that it's informed my acting and at least helped me to be able to sympathize with my characters when I play them.DEADLINE: Can you talk about what you have coming next?

'Anora's Mikey Madison on doing her own stunts, learning Russian and portraying sex work respectfully: "That was the ultimate goal"

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