Tangerine
Director Sean Baker Cast Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian
USA 2015, 1h28m, 15
Exemplifying the popular proverb that necessity is the mother of invention, director Sean Baker
used the scantest of resources to deliver the most original film of 2015. The most obvious
evidence for this can be seen in the aesthetic of the film – shot entirely on iPhone, the film has a
unique, fluid and deeply relatable look that belies its very specific location, time and narrative. It
can also however be seen in the subject matter, particularly in the character development and the
casting choices. Whilst the film, focusing as it does on a single day in the life of trans sex workers
in LA, never attempts to provide a grand statement on the global trans community in 2015, it does
provide a platform for actresses such as Mya Taylor and Kitana ‘Kiki’ Rodriguez to showcase
their skills.
In 2013, theatre practitioner MJ Kaufman wrote in his blog that ‘Not only are we
underrepresented in art and media, many transpeople face long periods of unemployment, trans
youth are disproportionately homeless, and transwomen are disproportionately incarcerated…‘
and that ‘given that this is the current landscape for trans artists, it is politically unconscionable to
give a job created for a transperson to a cis person’.1 Sadly, when this striking blog was
published, it did not receive a mainstream readership, however the issues raised were brought to
the popular media during the release of Dallas Buyer’s Club later that year. The focus of this
debate was on cisgender actor Jared Leto’s portrayal of the fictional trans character Rayon, a role
Leto went on to win a supporting actor Academy Award for. This casting choice led to both the
film and actor being accused of ‘trans-misogyny’.2 In Tangerine, Baker offers a refreshing
contrast to this by casting real trans actors in his roles. This choice is still under-seen in current
cinema, but it is one that Baker felt was necessary, stating that ‘If there are trans actors out there,
why not give them roles? As we know, trans people have a very hard time finding employment…
On just that level alone, of being a decent human being, why aren’t they casting people who
might not be able to get anything else? Secondly, in terms of where we are in history, isn’t it time
representation and diversity in general is taken more seriously?’3
Baker has been toiling away in the American independent scene for over a decade, intermittently
creating films about everything from Chinese immigrants (2002’s Take Out), New York street
hustlers with parental struggles (2008’s Prince of Broadway) and even creating an entire universe
where puppets co-existed with humans (Gregg the Bunny, which ran on American television from
2002 – 2006). His 2012 film Starlet was divisive; alternatively hailed as a ‘brittle, beautifully
understated San Fernando character study’ and ‘like a flower growing out of a septic tank’.4 As
with much of Baker’s work, the subject matter, focusing on an adult film star’s friendship with an
elderly widow, was such that meant the film never got a theatrical release here in the UK (it was
released on DVD by Soda Pictures in 2014). Throughout all these films, Baker forces audiences
1
MJ Kaufman, ‘Don’t Call me Ma’am: On the Politics of Trans Casting’, HowlRound 29 September 2013 http://howlround.com/don%E2%80%99tcall-me-ma%E2%80%99am-on-the-politics-of-trans-casting
2
Ben Beaumont-Thomas, ‘Jared Leto heckled for ‘trans-misogyny’ in Dallas Buyers Club, The Guardian 5 February 2014,
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/feb/05/jared-leto-heckled-trans-misogyny-dallas-buyers-club
3 Sean Baker, quoted by Luke Buckmaster, ‘Tangerine director Sean Baker: isn’t it time diversity was taken more seriously?’, The Guardian, 11
August 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/aug/11/tangerine-director-sean-baker-isnt-it-time-diversity-was-taken-more-seriously
4
Peter Debruge, ‘Review: Sarlet’, Variety 13 March 2012, http://variety.com/2012/film/markets-festivals/starlet-1117947236/
Michael O’Sullivan, ‘Starlet’, The Washington Post 16 November 2012, http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/movies/starlet,1236537.html
GLASGOW FILM THEATRE, 12 ROSE STREET, GLASGOW, G3 6RB
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Glasgow Film Theatre (GFT) is a charity registered in Scotland. No. SCO05932.
to look at the fringes of society, embedding very relatable stories (aging, parenthood,
relationships and financial problems) within characters that ‘regular audiences’ would otherwise
find themselves at a distance from. The result is a body of work that provides snapshots of the
USA’s undercurrent, allowing audiences glimpses at times and places in a way that feel less
voyeuristic or opportunistic, instead offering a more affectionate, relatable and emotional look.
Tangerine is a movie about location, both beginning and ending at a donut shop (the
convergence at the end is something the director always intended5), and it was necessary for
research to be put in place to make it as authentic as possible. An example of this can be seen in
the makeshift motel brothel, something that co-writer Chris Bergoch discovered - posing as a
‘john’ who forgot his wallet to get out ‘after getting a lay of the lands’.6 Using real locations allows
for the single camera to be in constant motion, cutting between principle characters (Rodriguez’
Sin-Dee, Taylor’s Alexandra and Karren Karagulian’s taxi driver Razmik) and showing their
various encounters to give audiences a sense of the community in that location. This was
something Baker felt was important as ‘…These women have been alienated, ostracized and
ignored by society and in most cases by their own families …in the end, they are their only family.
It was very important to show this.’7
One of the most unique aspects of this film is the fact that it was captured entirely by iPhone 5s.
As mentioned above, this was a financial necessity, yet when the filmmakers discovered a device
that affords the ability to shoot in true widescreen on iPhone, it became a unique opportunity. 8 In
addition to the Moondog Labs hardware, Baker also had to use a new app called Filmic Pro that
made the footage look more like film stock, along with a ‘Steadicam Smoothee’ – a grip that
meant the film could be shot in motion without too much blur.9 It is important to note the newness
of these applications, and the timeliness of the opportunities afforded Baker and his team.
Tangerine is undoubtedly a product of necessity, but that necessity is a result of the time we live
in. While the financial constraints of independent filmmakers meant that Baker had to utilise these
technological opportunities, the conversation around employment of trans actors (not to mention
the media attention for trans celebrity Caitlyn Jenner) meant that in 2015 it was necessary to
demonstrate how this could be achieved.
Sean Greenhorn
Programme Coordinator
November 2015
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5
Sean Baker, quoted by Michael O’Sullivan, “Director Sean Baker learned a lot of new slang while filming ‘Tangerine’”, The Washington Post, 17
July 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/director-sean-baker-learned-a-lot-of-new-slang-while-filmingtangerine/2015/07/17/ce72b2cc-2669-11e5-aae2-6c4f59b050aa_story.html
6 Sean Baker, quoted by Noah Kock, ‘Meet the Filmmaker: Sean Baker (Tangerine)’, Rooftop Films 6 July 2015,
http://rooftopfilms.com/blog/2015/07/meet-the-filmmaker-sean-baker-tangerine.html
7Sean Baker, quoted by Noah Kock, ‘Meet the Filmmaker: Sean Baker (Tangerine)’, Rooftop Films 6 July 2015,
http://rooftopfilms.com/blog/2015/07/meet-the-filmmaker-sean-baker-tangerine.html
8 http://www.moondoglabs.com/
9
Caitlin McGarry, ‘How to make a movie with an iPhone: An interview with Tangerine director Sean Baker’, Macworld, 18 August 2015
http://www.macworld.com/article/2971675/video/how-to-make-a-movie-with-an-iphone-an-interview-with-tangerine-director-sean-baker.html
GLASGOW FILM THEATRE, 12 ROSE STREET, GLASGOW, G3 6RB
WWW.GLASGOWFILM.ORG
BOX OFFICE 0141 332 6535
Glasgow Film Theatre (GFT) is a charity registered in Scotland. No. SCO05932.