Asian American Films Seminar: Lingua Franca (Dir. Isabel Sandoval, 2019)

Written, directed by, and starring Isabel Sandoval as Olivia, Lingua Franca focuses on the anxieties of living as an undocumented immigrant in America while also telling a trans love story. Olivia, a trans Filipino woman who lives in fear of deportation by ICE, is trying to secure a green card through marriage, but her life and her plans get shaken up when Alex, the grandson the woman she is a live in-caregiver for, comes to live with them after a stint in rehab.

Where To Watch Netflix

Seminar Lead Paul Nadal, Princeton University

Paul Nadal is assistant professor of English and American Studies at Princeton University. He teaches and writes about Asian American literature and the history of Philippine-U.S. literary and economic relations.