Micro-budget comedy drama Tangerine, the story of two transgender prostitutes in Los Angeles, is remarkable not just because it shows a side of Hollywood rarely portrayed in the cinema, but because the whole film was shot on iPhones.
“All of my films capture street life and are shot clandestinely to a certain degree, but using iPhones on this one helped to even a greater extent,” says Sean Baker, director of Tangerine, a breakout hit at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
“It led to a lot of freedom and experimentation. If you had seen us shooting across Santa Monica Boulevard, you would not know we were a professional shoot, except for perhaps our sound gear. ”
Instead of using “dolly shots” – with a camera moving on a track – Baker filmed street scenes while riding his bicycle.
UK audiences can see Tangerine when it is released in selected UK cities on Friday alongside big studio offerings such as Steve Jobs, starring Michael Fassbender and Kate Winslet, and The Lady with the Van, with Dame Maggie Smith.