Isabel Sandoval : 2019
Olivia is a transgender undocumented Filipina woman living in Brooklyn. She works as a caregiver to Olga, a Russian-Jewish woman who lives with her grandson Alex, who has just returned from a rehab trip to Russia. Soon complicated feelings emerge between Olivia and Alex. Alex is very much a product of the macho-masculine and sexist culture he has grown up in, something he must question when he learns that Olivia is transgender. Olivia tries to focus on her life, working hard to send money back to her family in the Philippines, even if they don't approve of her identity. She sees pursuing a love life as a self-indulgence that she shouldn't waste her time on, so she tries to suppress her emotions concerning Alex. The story that ensues involves both of them addressing their emotional shortcomings and hopefully growing past them. A deeply moving work of great intimacy and insight and an incisive critique on race and immigration in Trump's America. Isabel Sandoval's feature premiered in competition at Venice Days 2019, and had its UK premiere in competition at BFI London Film Festival 2019.
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