VOICEOVER
Zola In October 2015, Aziah ‘Zola’ King enticed fellow Twitter users with the promise of a story that was “kind of long but full of suspense”. What followed was a further 147 tweets recounting a trip to Tampa, Florida, accompanying a new friend, and her boyfriend and roommate. Known as #TheStory, King’s tweets went viral, reaching thousands of people, including Ava DuVernay, Solange Knowles and Missy Elliot. King also participated in an exclusive interview with Rolling Stone magazine the following month. Janicza Bravo’s film brings this wild tale of ‘hoeism’ to life and adapts #TheStory into
Taylour Paige
a road-trip thriller for the Internet age. The majority of the film is set over 48 hours in Florida, in which an unbelievable series of events unfold. Under the impression that they were travelling to Florida to make money dancing in a strip club, Zola is tricked by her new friend Stefani and is drawn into a world of sex work. With each shocking, uncomfortable and unexpected turn, Zola’s story becomes even harder to believe. King has admitted to some exaggeration, but these fabrications only serve to enrich the cinematic experience. The truth >> 53
