Lingua Franca

2020 · 94 min · EN · NR · 6.3 (26 votes)

Dir. Isabel Sandoval · Starring Isabel Sandoval, Lynn Cohen, Eamon Farren, Ivory Aquino, Lev Gorn, P.J. Boudousqué · Music Teresa Barrozo

Drama

Olivia, an undocumented Filipina immigrant paranoid about deportation, works as a caregiver to a Russian-Jewish grandmother in New York. When the man she’s secretly paying for a green card marriage backs out, she becomes involved with a slaughterhouse worker who is unaware that she’s a trans woman.

VIBE

This film offers a quiet, deeply felt exploration of identity and belonging. It's a tender, anxious slow-burn, immersing you in a world of intimate vulnerabilities and the quiet resilience of a woman navigating complex emotional and societal landscapes. The mood is contemplative, with a naturalistic style that feels both personal and universal.

anxioustendervulnerablecontemplativeresilientslow-burnnaturalistic dramaintimate character studyindie filmmakingurban realismidentitybelongingvulnerabilityimmigrationlove