They might have thought we were cops or johns or who knows what? We weren’t finding that one person who could be a collaborator. How did they initially react to you guys?Īt first there was apprehension. It seems like a tight-knit group who hang out in that area. Chris Bergoch, who wrote the screenplay, and I just started pounding the pavement and introducing ourselves to people and telling them what we planned on doing. I can’t explain exactly why, other than from a filmmaker’s point of view I knew there would be some interesting stories there and I could tell a cinematic story. Sean Baker: I live about half a mile from the corner of Santa Monica and Highland. Queerty: As a straight Caucasian man, h ow did you come to tell a story about transgender women of color? Already one of the most buzzed-about movies at Sundance last winter, the comedy-drama has been widely-written about for having been shot with an iPhone 5 (though you wouldn’t know it), which gives the film a startling immediacy, but it’s just as notable for the unshowy performances of its leading ladies, as well as for chronicling a rarely-seen subculture. Queerty spoke with Baker about how he gained trust of transgender newcomers, the clandestine shooting of the movie in Hollywood and the universal appeal of the film’s story. Tangerine (in select theaters this Friday and expanding throughout the summer) should launch Baker into the bigger leagues. Baker might not be a household name - yet - but the talented 44-year-old filmmaker has developed serious cachet within the industry thanks to the acclaim that greeted his last two movies, Starlet and Prince of Broadway, both made for a budgets comparable to what the average person spends on petrol each year. Oh, and a super soundtrack! I hope to add it to the collection one day.If you’re exhausted with the endless onslaught of Marvel comic book adaptations and disappointing male stripper comedies proliferating your local cinemas, Sean Baker’s Tangerine, a shaggy, often-frenetic dramedy about a pair of transgender sex workers, Alexandra and Sin-Dee (impressive newcomers Mya Taylor and Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, both trans in real life), having a rough day on the mean streets of Hollywood, is here to offer a welcome respite. From the colorful characters to the perfect pacing to the creative cinematography, "Tangerine" is one film every lover of cinema should watch at least once. It is brutally honest, hilarious at times, realistic, even touching and sad. Through all of this, the film is not condescending, preachy, or insensitive to anyone. The story weaves from Sin-dee's quest, to Alexandra picking up a few tricks throughout the day, and subtly follows a cab driver who has a thing for Sin-dee, while his family works out his proclivities. streets looking for the new girl and her cheating man. This sets Sin-dee off on a rampage as she scours the L.A. Sin-dee has just been released from jail, and her best friend Alexandra lets slip that her boyfriend/pimp picked up with another women while she was away. The story takes place over the course of about 12 hours, following the lives of two transgender prostitutes on Christmas Eve. Furthermore, maybe because of the unique film techniques, it feels very real, like you were just tagging along for the duration. How such a feat was accomplished is beyond me for while it does appear to be a low budget piece it looks fantastic. Aside from being a thoroughly enjoyable film, "Tangerine" has the remarkable distinction of being shot entirely on an iPhone 5S.
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