It’s Christmas Eve and Sin-Dee Rella has just been released from a short stint in prison. Catching up over donuts, her bestie Alexandra accidentally lets slips that Sin-Dee’s pimp/boyfriend has been messing around with a white girl. This sets the enraged Sin-Dee on a quest to track down her unfaithful beau, dragging her reluctant friend on an odyssey through the streets of LA. Alexandra insists that she’ll only tag along if there is ‘no drama’ – but drama is Sin-Dee’s forte.

Tangerine is unconventional on many levels – it’s a no-budget indie drama/comedy about transsexual sex workers and immigrant taxi drivers in a city known for movies and moguls. Its unconventional focus on the street life of the city makes it a breath of fresh air. The film presents its characters without judgement, and allows them free and frank reign in their lives. The result is a very real and human drama under all the comedy and flair.

The film was shot entirely on an iPhone 5s (with additional lenses and camera rigging), and looks remarkable; with bright colours and gorgeous vistas of Los Angeles in the sunset. The soundtrack and sound design are also excellent, and cement the film as a bona fide cinematic piece. At its core, Tangerine is a film with great vitality and heart. The characters are interesting, and the dialogue is brilliantly done. The film has a propulsive energy and revels in the chaos of its vivacious and forceful characters bouncing off one another.