Red Rocket

It’s been some time since Sean Baker last decided to dip his camera into the marginal fringes of American society. Born in New York, he has captured his outsiders at various locations across the country, from Los Angeles to Florida. His heroes, often rude and innocent at the same time, fight to survive on the right side of things but they’re always close to crossing the line of what’s legal. And they’ve often just a few dollars in their pockets, if they have any at all. 
This is once again the case for Mikey Saber, a former porn star who has fallen from grace on the West Coast and been forced to return to his native Texas town where no one wants him back, including his ex-wife, once known in the local porn scene, and his ex-mother-in-law. There’s yet another thing Sean Baker’s characters can’t resist: temptation.
In RED ROCKET, temptation is called Strawberry, a young woman who works at a doughnut store and shines in this weird blend of dirty realism and fantasy: that’s when Mikey sees a way to relaunch his career. RED ROCKET is essentially a comedy unlocked like a car out of control, wryly set in 2016 during the campaign that took Trump to the Presidency. And it’s one hell of a ride. (Francisco Ferreira)

In the presence of Sean Baker on October 26.

Sean Baker: FOUR LETTERS WORDS (2000), TAKE OUT (2004, Ko-Regie), PRINCE OF BROADWAY (2008), WARREN THE APE (2010, TV-Serie), STARLET (2012), TANGERINE (2015), THE FLORIDA PROJECT (2017)