Ep. 278: Sean Baker on Anora and its influences, and highlights from his recent watches

In this episode of "The Last Thing I Saw," host Nicolas Rapold interviews Sean Baker, the director of "Anora," which won the Palme d'Or. They discuss films that inspired or relate to "Anora," including "Knights of Cabiria," which influenced a specific scene, and "I Knew Her Well," for its empathetic approach to sex work. Baker also touches on the subconscious influence of screwball comedies and 80s films like "Coming to America" and "Used Cars." The conversation shifts to documentaries and films that have influenced Baker’s work, such as "Hookers at the Point," "The Great Happiness Space," and the works of Seijun Suzuki. Finally, they discuss recent films Baker has watched, including "When Evil Lurks," "Scala," "Megalopolis," "Bird," "The Substance," "Treasure of Foggy Mountain," "Joker," Catherine Berlant's "Last Summer," and Tsui Chiang's films, along with older exploitation films like "Redneck Miller."