The opening short documentary explores 1970s Florida, in a period of prosperity largely influenced by the struggles of the previous decade: civil rights, sexual revolution, protests over the Vietnam War, fights for equal opportunity for women. While Florida opens up – like the rest of the country – to musical experimentation and countercultures, it consolidates its identity in the cult of the body, becoming a strip club mecca. The protagonists of “Zola,” from Detroit, Michigan, arrive in Tampa, Florida: the film is inspired by a series of tweets published in 2015 documenting the road trip of two pole dancers. The tweets went viral but many of the more dramatic details later turned out to be pure invention.
MOVIES IN PROGRAM
1970S FLORIDA STREET SCENES
2021, 1’
Original English version
Country: U.S.A.
Distribution: Kinolibrary
The short document is a window into the social life of 1970s Florida, “The Sunshine State”: as focus of aerial and street footage, young people flock to beaches, streets, and outdoor clubs.
ZOLA
86’, 2021
Original English version
Director: Janizca Bravo
Cast: Taylour Paige, Riley Keough, Nicholas Braun
Country: U.S.A.
Distribution: Filmbank Media – A24
Waitress Zola meets a prostitute named Stefani at the restaurant where she works in Detroit; the two soon become friends due to their shared interest in pole dancing. Stefani invites Zola to join her on a road trip with the aim of earning some money by performing in numerous Florida strip clubs. Zola accepts but soon finds herself involved in a strange odyssey with Stefani, her boyfriend Derrek, and her mysterious roommate X.