Lingua Franca, which is having virtual theatrical screenings Wednesday and Thursday and comes to Netflix next week, groundbreaking transgender Filipina filmmaker Isabel Sandoval promises an experience that will upend audience expectations.Lingua Franca tells the story of an undocumented trans Filipina, Olivia, working as a caregiver for Olga, an elderly woman of Russian descent, in Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach neighborhood.
Olivia hopes to obtain a green card to stay in the U.S. legally. Matters are complicated when she becomes romantically involved with Olga’s adult grandson, Alex, and issues arise around her identity, immigration status, and civil rights.