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Lingua Franca 2020

Runtime

89 min

Language

English

English

A poignant drama, the film follows Olivia, a Filipino transwoman, as she strives for identity and stability while living undocumented in America. She develops a close relationship with an elderly patient, Olga, and finds herself drawn to Alex, Olga’s grandson. As Olivia navigates these complex connections, she faces the difficult realities of immigration and must make challenging decisions to pursue a better future.

A poignant drama, the film follows Olivia, a Filipino transwoman, as she strives for identity and stability while living undocumented in America. She develops a close relationship with an elderly patient, Olga, and finds herself drawn to Alex, Olga’s grandson. As Olivia navigates these complex connections, she faces the difficult realities of immigration and must make challenging decisions to pursue a better future.

Does Lingua Franca have end credit scenes?

No!

Lingua Franca does not have end credit scenes. You can leave when the credits roll.

Meet the Full Cast and Actors of Lingua Franca

Explore the complete cast of Lingua Franca, including both lead and supporting actors. Learn who plays each character, discover their past roles and achievements, and find out what makes this ensemble cast stand out in the world of film and television.


Ratings and Reviews for Lingua Franca

See how Lingua Franca is rated across major platforms like IMDb, Metacritic, and TMDb. Compare audience scores and critic reviews to understand where Lingua Franca stands among top-rated movies in its genre.


Echo Score

The Movie Echo Score

75

The overall impact of Lingua Franca lies in its intimate, authentic exploration of a complex character navigating challenging circumstances. Critical consensus highlights its compelling lead performance and evocative visual style, while noting some unevenness in narrative pacing and coherence. The film’s understated cinematography and sensual social-realist tone create a vivid atmosphere that enriches the viewing experience. However, underdeveloped story threads and occasional pacing lags limit its sustained engagement. Despite these shortcomings, Lingua Franca remains a poignant, visually striking drama with a lasting emotional resonance.

The Movie Echo Score Breakdown for Lingua Franca

85
Echo Score

Art & Craft

In terms of art and craft, Lingua Franca excels in its understated visual composition and precise cinematography. Critics and users alike note the film’s lingering, gorgeously photographed shots and controlled framing that convey a sensual social-realist atmosphere. Direction is measured, allowing scenes to breathe and reinforcing the film’s intimate tone. Overall, the art direction and camera work establish a cohesive visual identity throughout the narrative.

80
Echo Score

Character & Emotion

When it comes to character and emotion, Lingua Franca benefits from a compelling central performance that brings authenticity to Olivia’s internal struggles. Reviews emphasize Isabel Sandoval’s nuanced portrayal, lending depth and emotional resonance to the narrative. However, some supporting characters receive limited development or fade abruptly, creating occasional gaps in relational dynamics. In sum, the film offers strong emotional immediacy through its lead, despite uneven character focus in secondary roles.

55
Echo Score

Story & Flow

In terms of story and flow, Lingua Franca presents an intimate and timely premise that resonates with social-justice themes. Critics appreciate its lyrical voice and originality, yet user responses highlight a meandering narrative and pacing that can feel sluggish. Several plot threads are noted as underdeveloped or unresolved, diminishing overall coherence. Consequently, while the film offers poignant moments, its uneven structure and slow progression limit full engagement.

80
Echo Score

Sensory Experience

With regard to sensory experience, Lingua Franca relies primarily on its visual style to convey mood and atmosphere. The understated color palette and fluid camera movement create a cohesive, immersive social-realist aesthetic. While critics praise the striking imagery, there is little commentary on music or sound design, leaving auditory elements functional but unremarked. Overall, the film’s strength lies in its visual cohesion, though sound components remain secondary.

65
Echo Score

Rewatch Factor

In terms of rewatch value, Lingua Franca offers memorable emotional beats and visual moments that may invite subsequent viewings. The central performance and social-realism aesthetic provide a poignant anchor that resonates beyond the initial screening. However, uneven pacing and unresolved plotlines can lessen enjoyment on repeated viewings by drawing attention to structural flaws. As a result, the film retains some lasting appeal but may not consistently reward multiple viewings.

Metacritic

61

Metascore

6.4

User Score

Rotten Tomatoes
review

87%

TOMATOMETER

review

76%

User Score

IMDb

6.6 /10

IMDb Rating

TMDB

65

%

User Score

Letterboxd

3.7

From 46 fan ratings

Take the Ultimate Lingua Franca Movie Quiz

Challenge your knowledge of Lingua Franca with this fun and interactive movie quiz. Test yourself on key plot points, iconic characters, hidden details, and memorable moments to see how well you really know the film.


Lingua Franca Quiz: Test your knowledge of the film Lingua Franca with this 10-question quiz.

Where does Olivia work as a caregiver?

Full Plot Summary and Ending Explained for Lingua Franca

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Read the complete plot summary of Lingua Franca, including all major events, twists, and the full ending explained in detail. Explore key characters, themes, hidden meanings, and everything you need to understand the story from beginning to end.


Olivia, a Filipina trans woman, serves as a dedicated live-in caregiver for Olga (portrayed by Lynn Cohen) in the vibrant Brighton Beach neighborhood of Brooklyn. Olga, an elderly Russian-Jewish woman, struggles with early stages of dementia, often doubting her own living environment and relying heavily on Olivia for reassurance. As someone living undocumented, Olivia constantly grapples with the fear of being detained by ICE agents, which adds a layer of anxiety to her life.

With her earnings primarily supporting her family back in the Philippines, Olivia also sends money to Matthew (played by Mark Nelson), her American boyfriend. She hopes their relationship might lead to a green card through marriage. However, her plans take an unexpected turn when Alex (played by Eamon Farren), Olga’s grandson, returns home after a stint in rehab, complicating Olivia’s already challenging life.

As Olivia patiently cares for Olga, navigating her needs skillfully, Alex struggles with his own demons, attempting to find a balance between sobriety and responsibility. He manages to secure a job at his uncle’s slaughterhouse, but his confrontational nature creates tension between him and Olivia. In a surprising twist, Olivia develops a crush on Alex after he reads out loud love letters from his late grandfather, leading to an emotional confession of her undocumented status and aspirations for a green card. Their distinct backgrounds form an unlikely bond, evolving into a romantic relationship—though unknown to Alex, Olivia is trans.

The story takes a darker turn when Andrei (played by P.J. Boudousqué), a drunken friend of Alex, snoops through Olivia’s personal items and steals money from her while she showered. In a shocking discovery, he finds Olivia’s passport, which reveals her previous identity. Although Alex learns about this sensitive information, he chooses to keep it a secret from Olivia, heightening her anxiety about an impending ICE raid. He concocts a story about a masked intruder to comfort her, further complicating their fragile trust.

Alex’s inner turmoil intensifies after he gets fired from the slaughterhouse for appearing drunk at work. Eventually softening towards Olivia, he seeks to comfort her during a distressing news cycle detailing immigration raids and deportations. In a moment of shared hope, he even considers marrying her, researching the marriage license process in New York. His path to redemption seems to start when he reassures her during a drunken overnight trip to Atlantic City, proposing marriage and a vision of a future family together.

However, Olivia finds herself hesitating as she feels the weight of truths yet to be shared. In a poignant scene, she insists Alex return her passport, signaling a rift in their plans. The story closes ambiguously; while it appears that Olivia chooses not to proceed with the marriage, she informs her family in the Philippines of a new job and someone special, still navigating her life amidst uncertainty. As the film concludes, Olga is once again lost in her fading memories.

Uncover the Details: Timeline, Characters, Themes, and Beyond!

Watch Trailers, Clips & Behind-the-Scenes for Lingua Franca

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Watch official trailers, exclusive clips, cast interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage from Lingua Franca. Dive deeper into the making of the film, its standout moments, and key production insights.


Official Trailer

ARRAY's LINGUA FRANCA

Laemmle Q&A with Filmmaker Isabel Sandoval

LINGUA FRANCA's Isabel Sandoval on Acting in her own film

Movie Themes and Keywords

Discover the central themes, ideas, and keywords that define the movie’s story, tone, and message. Analyze the film’s deeper meanings, genre influences, and recurring concepts.


immigrationdementiasocial justicefilipinocare giverpassportold agerussian americanwrestlerwrestlingmale to female transgendercurly haired malesexual tensionslaughterhousemeatgo through someone's stuffman watches pornsex with transgenderboxingtrainingtwo word titletransgenderlgbt plustransgender interesttitle directed by trans woman

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