Tangerine

It’s Christmas Eve in Tinseltown and Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) is back on the block. Upon hearing that her pimp boyfriend hasn’t been faithful during the 28 days she was locked up, the working girl and her best friend, Alexandra (Mya Taylor), embark on a mission to get to the bottom of the scandalous rumor. Their rip-roaring odyssey leads them through various subcultures of Los Angeles, including an Armenian family dealing with their own repercussions of infidelity.

Director Sean Baker and co-writer Chris Bergoch found their two transgender leads near the Donut Time in the LA neighborhood where TANGERINE is set, then collaborated with them and other transgender sex workers to create the movie’s richly detailed, trash-talking characters. Adding another layer of innovation, the filmmakers shot the movie entirely on several iPhone 5S cameras (with a prototype adapter lens). All of these elements combine into a film that busts off the screen with energy and style.

“A gorgeous, timely, and possibly profound human comedy.” — Salon