The Real Russian Oligarch Family Who Built the Mansion in ‘Anora’

A daily mix of stories about cities, city life, and our always evolving neighborhoods and skylines. [Curbed]( FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18 ON SET [The Real Russian Oligarch Family Who Built Anora’s Mansion]( Not much seems to have changed in the 14,000-square-foot compound in Mill Basin since the Anisimov family moved out a decade ago. Photo: Bergen Basin Realty Before the director Sean Baker finished the script that would become [Anora](, he was looking for locations that would show an aspect of Russian American life in New York. That’s how Baker works, an approach he has [called]( “anthropological or sociological” filmmaking, which allows places and the people living and working in them to shape his characters and inspire his plots. For Anora, Baker envisioned one scene in a vape shop, then discovered an old-school candy store and gave a character a job there. Those real tidbits ground a Cinderella story that follows Ani (Mikey Madison), a savvy stripper who knows enough Russian from her grandmother to chat with a client, Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn). He turns out to be the son of an oligarch, and Ani gets the first glimpse of his wealth on a visit to his modern-day castle where their love story unfolds. Those scenes were shot last year in a Brooklyn mansion built by the family of a real Russian oligarch. And Baker [told]( Variety that he found the house fairly easily, after a Google search for “the biggest and best mansion in Brighton Beach.” [Continue reading »]( Want more on city life, real estate, and design? [Subscribe now]( to save over 40% on unlimited access to Curbed and everything New York. The Latest [Audrey Gelman Is Selling Her Upstate Compound The $2.995 million listing features three separate houses, a pond, a pool, and a lot of quilts.]( By Kim Velsey [This Week’s Worth-It New York City Apartment Listings A Full House–esque three-bedroom in Ridgewood.]( By Nora DeLigter [It’ll Be a Whole New Fifth Avenue More trees, wider sidewalks, and fewer cars.]( By Christopher Bonanos [Read More From Curbed]( [Sign up to get The Listings Edit](, a weekly digest of the most worth-it apartments in New York. [GET THE NEWSLETTER]( [logo]( [facebook logo]( [instagram logo]( [twitter logo]( [unsubscribe]( | [privacy notice]( | [update preferences]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Was this email forwarded to you? [Sign up now]( to get this newsletter in your inbox. [View this email in your browser.]( You received this email because you have a subscription to New York. Reach the right online audience with us For advertising information on email newsletters, please contact AdOps@nymag.com Vox Media, LLC 1701 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036 Copyright © 2024, All rights reserved