

Lingua Franca
A Film by Isabel Sandoval
Written and directed by Isabel Sandoval, LINGUA FRANCA follows an undocumented Filipina trans woman Olivia (Isabel Sandoval) after she has secured a job as a live-in caregiver for Olga (Lynn Cohen), an elderly Russian woman in Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach neighborhood. Olivia’s 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 threaten her very existence.
Directed by Isabel Sandoval • Screenplay by Isabel Sandoval • Produced by Isabel Sandoval
A gorgeous and delicate picture, an understated work that opens a window on an intimate world
Lingua Franca
A Film by Isabel Sandoval
Written and directed by Isabel Sandoval, LINGUA FRANCA follows an undocumented Filipina trans woman Olivia (Isabel Sandoval) after she has secured a job as a live-in caregiver for Olga (Lynn Cohen), an elderly Russian woman in Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach neighborhood. Olivia’s 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 threaten her very existence.
Directed by Isabel Sandoval • Screenplay by Isabel Sandoval • Produced by Isabel Sandoval
A gorgeous and delicate picture, an understated work that opens a window on an intimate world
Upcoming screenings
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In the News
Introducing Isabel Sandoval: The ‘Lingua Franca’ filmmaker on her indie drama
Lingua Franca’s Isabel Sandoval Wants You To See Beyond Labels
Isabel Sandoval makes her triumphant return with Lingua Franca, a fragile drama that burns with an understated intensity.
The Story of Lingua Franca, Isabel Sandoval’s Deeply Personal Post-Trump Indie Romance
Lingua Franca, Isabel Sandoval’s third feature that’s premiering this week on Netflix, is the rare sort of film that upends your expectations without being even a little bit smug about it.
How Isabel Sandoval’s Lingua Franca Caught Ava DuVernay’s Eye
Power, or lack thereof, was on Isabel Sandoval’s mind when she was writing her third feature, Lingua Franca, about a trans, Filipina immigrant named Olivia in Brooklyn.
In the News
Introducing Isabel Sandoval: The ‘Lingua Franca’ filmmaker on her indie drama
Lingua Franca’s Isabel Sandoval Wants You To See Beyond Labels
Isabel Sandoval makes her triumphant return with Lingua Franca, a fragile drama that burns with an understated intensity.
The Story of Lingua Franca, Isabel Sandoval’s Deeply Personal Post-Trump Indie Romance
Lingua Franca, Isabel Sandoval’s third feature that’s premiering this week on Netflix, is the rare sort of film that upends your expectations without being even a little bit smug about it.
How Isabel Sandoval’s Lingua Franca Caught Ava DuVernay’s Eye
Power, or lack thereof, was on Isabel Sandoval’s mind when she was writing her third feature, Lingua Franca, about a trans, Filipina immigrant named Olivia in Brooklyn.