This film is part of Rentals
Broken Gardenias
A quirky, dark comedy about a socially awkward, semi-savant, Jenni, who teams up with super-confident street hustler, Sam, to search for her long-lost father.
Director: Kai Alexander
Overview
A series of unlikely and unfortunate events leads to the socially awkward, semi-savant Jenni being made homeless. Just as it seems she’s hit rock bottom she meets super-confident street hustler Sam, and together they embark on a zany, dream-like quest to LA to find Jenni’s long lost father.
Kai Alexander (aka Kai Devani)’s directorial debut manages to combine complex characters and a range of serious issues (from abuse to abandonment) while remaining a fun, engaging and touching road movie. Broken Gardenias is premiering on BFI Player for the duration of BFI Flare 2015, where the film will also receive its UK theatrical premiere.
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