The Zola Experience – Retrospective Review of Fusion Film Festival 2022

The Zola Experience – Retrospective Review of Fusion Film Festival 2022

By Illia Solano

(Spoilers below!)

The basement of the Tisch building is bare when you enter it on a Saturday afternoon. I make my way to the designated room and am greeted by smiling faces wearing matching black shirts. This is just the beginning of my time at the Fusion’s Film Festival screening of the 2020 critically acclaimed Zola by Janicza Bravo.

I enter the room 10 minutes before the film starts and find myself in an almost packed room of people talking amongst themselves. Some sit on their phones while others look at the little programming schedule of events provided at the door. I watch the audience as I make my way down to an empty seat at the far left side of the room on the third row. I’m watching. Waiting.

Finally, the time comes when the lights start to dim. The crowd’s chatter turns to a whisper and then simmers into silence — then, the screen comes to life.

Last year, NYU’s Fusion Film Festival had the privilege to honor Janicza Bravo as Fusion’s Woman of the Year. She is the writer and director of the exhilarating comedy-thriller Zola which follows a series of tweets originally posted by Aziah King, also known as Zola. Filled with twists and turns, the female-centered Zola delves into unfamiliar territory filled with unconventional characters that transport viewers into a weekend to remember.

The film opens with a breath-catching dream sequence that mixes realism and surrealism. Zola begins her retelling of how she and “this bitch fell out” (Bravo). That’s when the audience is transported into the unexpected twists and turns that the film’s two primary women, Zola and Stephanie, experience.

But despite the film’s tense moments, there are always light parts to balance them out. There are always laughs that come about when characters find themselves in these ironic situations, and each one gets a chance to be in the spotlight. Zola’s “are you for real’s,” Stephanie’s naive comments, Derek’s puppy personality, and X’s sudden shift in emotions from 0 to 10 easily manage to get a crack from people. No matter what, Bravo successfully gets a reaction from her audience—and maybe the best example of this is when a montage of dicks fills the screen. The audible gasp from every single person, including myself, was deafening.

The ending was the most gasp-worthy scene. After a harrowing kidnapping, in an almost deserted motel that almost turned into a shoot out, the main cast escapes triumphantly. The viewers are then transported to a two story modern apartment complex looking out into the ocean and its crashing blue waves. We follow our characters’ sigh of relief, thinking their journey has finally ended. But at the last minute… tensions rise and boil until Derek runs out of the balcony on the second floor. The film then cuts to Derek sprawled on the floor by the pool, unmoving.

But it doesn’t end there. Zola and the crew are once again back in the car. X reverts to his “holier-than-thou” persona, Derek whimpers with a hand on his bloodied temple, and Stephanie tries to make amends to Zola by telling her that she loves her. Meanwhile, Zola ignores Stephanie and tries to drown out the weekend by rolling down the window and taking in some air.

After a rollercoaster of emotions, the credits roll in. A scattered round of applause builds into a roar. Fusion Film Festival’s screening of Zola was the marquee event last year, and it’s clear why. It was not only the shared energy in the room that made this screening such an enjoyable experience, it was the chaotic energy within the film that made everyone react. Overall, Zola is the film to watch if you feel  like holding your breath and laughing out loud, and the Fusion Film Festival attendees can attest to that. Everyone at Fusion was so lucky to have experienced this masterful film, and we can’t wait to see what Janicza does next. See you all at the festival this April 12-15!