Tendaberry (2024)

The feature directorial debut of Haley Elizabeth Anderson (who also write the script), this indie drama has young newcomer Kota Johan playing it close to home as Dakota, a twenty-three-year-old Dominican-American singer-songwriter in her first year living in Brooklyn. She works in a convenience store and lives with her Ukrainian boyfriend Yuri (Yuri Pleskun), but when a visit with his ailing father in Kyiv leaves him stuck back in his home country due to Russia’s invasion, Dakota is left to fend for herself. It isn’t easy - she gets scammed by con artist, gets pregnant, loses her job, tries lap dancing as an alternative, and even resorts to panhandling on the street. Her story is interspersed with archival footage of Coney Island and contains a few teases of skin - mostly Kota in a bikini top, although there is a brief shot of sideboob when she’s seen putting a shirt over her bare chest in that may be enough to stir up a Cyclone in your pants!