Courtesy of Focus Features

Just a girl looking for her place in the world isn’t an all-too-uncommon tale. But Alike is black. And gay.

It’s a minority double whammy that singles out the Brooklyn teen from the rest of the world, so she seeks acceptance in gay bars – and, because she’s not definite in her identity, doesn’t find it. Alike (pronounced “ah-lee-kay”) is the epitome of a Pariah, the name of out director Dee Rees’ personal – and very powerful – indie film. A hit on the festival circuit, Rees’ real-life-inspired story finds the universal thread in navigating Alike’s journey to self-actualization and the power of loving yourself first.

Rees and Adepero Oduye, who plays Alike, spoke recently about their advice to LGBT teens, getting into character at a lesbian bar and the reason “My Neck, My Back (Lick It)” was perfectly inappropriate for the film.

How would you break down Pariah and the character of Alike?

Dee Rees: It’s just, of course, a story about identity. Alike’s a woman who knows she loves women, and is sure in that, but her struggle is how to be. Her struggle is a more nuanced struggle of gender identity within the queer community. She’s not the same person that (her friend) Laura is, neither is she this pink princess that her mother wants her to be. She falls somewhere in between. Finding the courage to carve out that space is her journey. It’s a story that people will be able to relate to.

Adepero Oduye: It’s a very specific story, but it’s so universal. You don’t have to be young, black or gay to get something from this film, and, since Sundance, that’s what we’ve been seeing from these screenings and Q&As. For people who are either black or gay, I think they’re excited to see themselves reflected up on the screen. That’s always powerful and exciting.

What’s your advice to young people who, like Alike, are struggling with their sexuality?

DR: That it’s OK to be yourself; that people can change. When I went through my coming out process, even though I was an adult – I was paying my own bills, I was independent – but my parents weren’t accepting, and we had a tough time for a couple of years. I never thought they would turn around, but they saw this film and said they loved me and that they were proud of me.

So people can actually change, and in the interim, find other people who love you. During that time is when I found the closest friends in my life now. Maybe I wouldn’t have been open to those friendships if I hadn’t been going through such a tough time. It was an experience that transformed me.

AO: Yeah, the process of accepting and loving yourself is the most important thing. If you can do that and find people who support that, it’s amazing what will happen when you get to a place where you truly do love and accept yourself. People will turn around and things – they might be challenging and the road might be a bit rocky – but they will get better.