Lingua Franca tells the story of a marriage of convenience—a strategy used to obtain legal residency in the United States or Europe. Faced with rigid immigration laws, many migrants struggle to secure their livelihoods and escape postcolonial power structures. At the same time, a market for sham marriages is thriving, leaving individuals vulnerable to abuse and exorbitant costs. What I find so powerful about this film is that it tells a personal story rather than just presenting cold statistics in the news. Since I myself am part of those statistics, I want to share with the audience the personal fears, worries, and uncertainties of someone in a situation similar to that of the main character. – Monica