“Lingua Franca” made history as the first film directed by and starring a trans woman of color to screen in competition at Venice Film Festival, and now it’s secured distribution. Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY Releasing announced that it has acquired Isabel Sandoval’s drama via a press release.
Written by Sandoval, “Lingua Franca” tells the story of an undocumented Filipina trans woman. After landing a job as a live-in caregiver for an elderly Russian woman (Lynn Cohen) living in Brooklyn, Olivia’s (Sandoval) “main priority is to secure a green card to stay in America. But when she unexpectedly becomes romantically involved with Olga’s adult grandson Alex (Eamon Farren), issues around identity, civil rights, and immigration threatens Olivia’s very existence,” the film’s synopsis details.
When we asked Sandoval what drew her to the story, she said, “I’ve always been drawn to marginalized women in fraught socio-political milieus, and this premise strikes me as particularly resonant in these times.”
“The release of Isabel Sandoval’s third film is beautifully timed to enter the national conversation at an unprecedented moment of cultural reckoning for many, especially as it relates to the rights and dignity of trans people around the world,” commented ARRAY President Tilane Jones. “Ms. Sandoval’s introspective lens provides a depth and intimacy to her storytelling that is rarely embraced on screen. ARRAY is proud to embrace ‘Lingua Franca’ and we look forward to sharing this meaningful work widely.”
Sandoval made her feature debut with “Señorita” and followed it up with “Apparition.”
“Lingua Franca” screened at the 2019 edition of Venice Film Festival. The pic will premiere on Netflix August 26, as well as in select cities theatrically.
ARRAY Releasing’s other recent acquisitions include Numa Perrier’s “Jezebel” and Stephanie Turner’s “Justine.” The former is inspired by its writer-director’s experiences and tells the story of a fetish cam girl, and the latter is a portrait of a woman whose life changes overnight when her military husband — and the father of her two children — is killed.
