Identity in the in-between : narrative temporality and the queer experience in "Tangerine and Moonlight"

Queer cinema draws from the idea of queer time when it consciously strays away from classic modes of narration. Although "Tangerine" (2015, dir. Sean Baker) and "Moonlight" (2016, dir. Barry Jenkins) approach the issue of queer identity and experience in a drastically different manner, both films rely on an altered narrative temporality and can be understood as a cinematic reflection of queer space and queer time. The chapter outlines how film form can be used to display an alternative temporal experience and represent queer stories and individuals on their own terms. The study applies three categories-of otherness, in-betweenness, and self-realization-to examine how queer characters of color in "Tangerine" and "Moonlight" occupy spatial and temporal settings and transform them to suit their needs and to affirm their identities.