Janicza Bravo’s Zola is a delightful and exuberantly crafted study of perspective, performance, storytelling, and who has power in any given situation. Bravo treads a very delicate line with the film’s tone and the shifts needed to modulate in order to capture the ironic and playful detachment of the narrator’s voice from the original Twitter thread, while still making certain that we’re always aware of the potential for danger and violence lurking around every twist of the plot. It’s one of those rare films that doesn’t pathologize sex work, while still acknowledging the perils and struggles that those involved in that labor face. And while it’s all handled with a grace and subtlety you wouldn’t expect from a film that is this unapologetically boisterous, the film’s examination of shifting power dynamics based on race, class, and gender are all incredibly astute. Bravo’s use of 16mm is gorgeous, and the precise, heightened compositions echo the heightened and perfected self-images we’re all conditioned to compose for social media. The film’s sonic textures are just as important as its visuals, bringing social media to life on screen in fresh and unique ways. There so much to explore in this film – the narrative’s ties to The Odyssey, the parallels between both boyfriends left behind, the longing to return home – that you could easily spend multiple viewings diving into everything that Bravo’s doing with this extraordinary film.