Spirit of Resistance

Starlet is a 2012 American independent drama film directed, edited, and co-produced by Sean Baker, who co-wrote the screenplay with Chris Bergoch. It explores the unlikely friendship that blossoms between a 21-year-old woman (Dree Hemingway) and an 85-year-old woman (Besedka Johnson) when their lives intersect in the San Fernando Valley. Starlet premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival on March 11, 2012. It received praise from critics and viewers, winning the Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award for Best Ensemble Cast whilst Johnson received Special Jury Recognition at the South by Southwest Film Festival. The film grossed $146,222 at the box office. It marks the first and only acting role for Johnson, who died one year after its release at the age of 87.