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Lingua Franca

Play trailer 1:28 Poster for Lingua Franca 2019 1h 29m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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86% Tomatometer 49 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
An undocumented trans Filipino caregiver pursues a marriage to obtain a green card.
Lingua Franca

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Lingua Franca brings warmth and humanity to its social issue-driven plot with sensitive performances and writer-director Isabel Sandoval's gently empathetic touch.

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Critics Reviews

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Dwight Brown National Newspaper Publishers Association 12/18/2020
3.5/4
This story has never been told before, communicated in this way or created by such an astute and perceptive writer/director/actor like Isabel Sandoval. Go to Full Review
David Fear Rolling Stone 09/10/2020
3.5/5
The expression here is one of shared humanity regardless of background, gender identity, race or creed. The common language being used here is cinema. Go to Full Review
Joe Morgenstern Wall Street Journal 08/28/2020
Ms. Sandoval is a confident storyteller with a fondness for the quirks and surprises of character -- any character who comes into view. Go to Full Review
Betsy Bozdech AWFJ.org 12/01/2021
Intimate, personal stories like Olivia's are the kind that have a way of making the biggest impact:... Go to Full Review
Cassidy Olsen Dig Boston 02/28/2021
4/5
A mesmerizing, often terrifying slice of social realism from a filmmaker in complete control of the world she's depicting. Go to Full Review
Jennie Kermode Eye for Film 02/16/2021
3.5/5
Ably performed all round, with a strong turn from [Isabel] Sandoval in the lead, this is a timely reflection on how it feels to be an outsider in the land of the free. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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PridePosterStudios 09/20/2023 Isabel Sandoval is a sensation. That’s it. That’s the review. See more 03/04/2022 Absolutely incredible. Pacing is slow but I never felt impatient with any of the moments. Compelling and true to life. Also if you are trans, watch this, it's well done. See more 01/18/2021 A dramatic, yet soft romantic story with implicit overtones built on the traumatic intersection of transsexualism and illegal immigration. A quiet movie with a message that is best felt rather than explained. See more georgan g 01/08/2021 Moved a bit too slowly, but watching the relationship dance was interesting. As was the ICE dance. See more dave d 11/20/2020 Isabel Sandoval wrote, directed, produced and starred in a film about an undocumented trans Filipino caregiver who pursues a marriage to obtain a green card. First off, can we all be thankful that movies from diverse voices are being given a platform more and more frequently? As much as that means to me, it doesn't excuse the filmmaker from being sloppy and leaving wide gaps in the story that don't make the film feel authentic. There are several great ideas here, but mixed together they work as well as oil and water. People are too reactionary which defies logic considering how quickly and forced these conflicts and resolutions are. While we have to accept the fact that this is a first-time filmaker, we can't just forgive the movie's faults out of sympathy. This is a story that needs to be SPOT on and not only engaging, but lose the viewer. Instead, I was left wondering why certain characters after being developed, just vanished. A trans woman who takes care of an elderly woman with dementia, combined with a romance of her grandson combined with that evil character who just seems drawn to scale. I hope Sandoval gets another chance because she shows so much promise. I just wish there had been another pass or two at a largely invisible script. Trans voices are a necessity in film and this is worthy of a watch for the sole fact it treats the typically voiceless with dignity and respect. I just wish it was a better film. Finally, I caught this on Netflix and may I suggest how to watch? There are two ways and considering there are three languages used, I strongly suggest using captions. Now, this is going to be annoying because there's no way just to caption the two foreign languages to the English speakers and instead you get captioned EVERY word that's said and EVERY move that's heard. Considering the movie starts and ends in a language other than English.. you're just gonna have to show a little bit of trust. The scene at the beginning is integral to the film. Final Score: 5.8/10 See more 10/11/2020 Very, very slow movie. Don't bother. See more Read all reviews
Lingua Franca

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Movie Info

Synopsis An undocumented trans Filipino caregiver pursues a marriage to obtain a green card.
Director
Isabel Sandoval
Producer
Jerome Kerkman, Darlene Catly Malimas, Isabel Sandoval, Jhett Tolentino, Carlo Velayo
Screenwriter
Isabel Sandoval
Production Co
7107 Entertainment
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 26, 2020
Runtime
1h 29m