TAHARA (2020) - Film Movement

Tahara
Film Movement

Original Release Date January 25th, 2020
Written by Jess Zeidman
Directed by Olivia Peace
Starring Madeline Grey DeFreece, Rachel Sennott, Daniel Taveras, Shlomit Azoulay
Language English

Get your copy HERE from Orbit, or HERE from Vinegar Syndrome

by "Doc" Hunter Bush, MovieJawn Podcast Director and Staff Writer 

Overview:

Tahara comes to Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome partner label Film Movement. The first feature from director Olivia Peace, the film is creative and well-executed. Film Movement's release of Tahara looks and sounds solid, but is light on bonus features.

The Movie Itself: Good

Tahara isn't anything wildly original, but it is done quite well. Two best friends, Carrie and Hannah (Madeline Grey DeFreece and Rachel Sennott, respectively) attend the funeral service and the mandatory post-funeral discussion session in the synagogue for a recently deceased classmate. Their attentions, however, are on a million other things: Tristan (Daniel Taveras) the cute boy Hannah is crushing on, the performative grieving of some other classmates, and a recent party attended by Hannah and the deceased, but NOT Carrie. The fact that the two are never quite on the same emotional wavelength creates subtle but constant friction in a way that feels authentically like high school. When Hannah cajoles Carrie into sharing a "practice kiss", a variety of new feelings bloom in Carrie for her frustrating and somewhat self-centered bestie.

But Tahara avoids melodrama. Since almost the entire film takes place in the presence of others, there can be very few histrionics. When Carrie and Hannah argue, it is done through looks and brief gestures, or hushed tirades delivered just around the corner, all of which adds to the frustrations inherent in the high school melodrama genre. The characters can never get it all out of their system, and just have to let off enough steam so they won't immediately explode, then continue carrying this weight until the next opportunity to turn the pressure release.

The performances are what stays with you. Carrie and Hannah’s friendship feels real because it’s so nuanced. Hannah is kind of a jerk and when the film opens, you don’t know whether that’s just how she is or not. The fact that Carrie seems so put-off by her behavior is your first inkling that something is going on that we’re not being told, and that very small scale mystery, that question, is what keeps your attention. Everything else that happens, internally or externally, all functions to make aspects of that central relationship clear(er). As a character piece, its strength is in its nuance.

If you’ve ever had complicated feelings for a friend, or had to deal with the slow realization that someone you cared about is not who you thought they were, Tahara will likely hit home even if you weren’t a young, black, Jewish, queer girl at the time. Some things, like bad friends and messy emotions, are universal.

The Packaging: Good

This is the slightly sturdier, clear plastic Blu-ray case traditionally used by Vinegar Syndrome and its partner labels. The cover presents Carrie and Hannah's heads positioned counter to each other and sideways, with a cloudy purple, pink, and blue background. The interior image on the back of the cover is of the two friends looking at each other, tinted fully purple.

The release comes with a handsome booklet featuring an essay from entertainment journalist Sara Clements discussing the film's themes and highlighting the more unique aspects of its story. There's nothing unique about the release, physically, but it is quite handsome.

The Video: Good

With the caveat that this is an independent production from a first time feature director, I think Tahara looks pretty good. The vast majority of the run time is spent in a classroom, and related hallways and bathrooms, which leads to a predominance of overcast, slightly desaturated lighting, but it's a very pleasant, soft look overall.

But there are some really inventive and creative moments here. When Carrie and Hannah share Hannah's "practice kiss", the film's dimensions expand. Initially shot in a square aspect ratio, the kiss literally expands Carrie's world in a way that's extremely clever, ambitious, and quietly melodramatic. There are also brief animation and claymation interludes that further elaborate on the characters' inner turmoil. They're not long, or especially involved, so don't expect to see Mad God stuff here, but they feel authentically like the flights of fancy that kids experiencing these feelings might imagine. It's good stuff that stands in contrast to the comparatively dull everyday of their real world.

The Audio: Average

Similarly, I have no real complaints with the sound mixing of the film itself. Though it's light on score, the dialogue mixing is very good. Again: most of the film is in a synagogue, with a few scenes in bathrooms and the like, but there's no wild sound echoes, squeaky shoes, or anything else I associate with my time in similar buildings.

The mix through my three-channel sound bar was perfect, and I never had to reach for the volume knob because of a sudden volume change ...except, for some reason, the menu is incredibly loud when compared to the film itself. This seems to happen sometimes, and I just do not get it. Obviously, I didn't notice this at the start of my viewing experience, but once the flick ended and the menu started back up, whatever mumbly r&b track that ends the film burst, with renewed vigor, from my speakers. It was not the most pleasant experience.

The Supplements: Average

Listen, I know this is a small production, and the cast and crew were all relative newcomers at the time (I believe this is Rachel Sennot's first feature) but I'm certain there's something that could have been thrown together to give me what I always look for from these kinds of features: context. Though it lacks anything like outtakes or behind-the-scenes interviews, the commentary track is charming, and reasonably informative, with five of the people involved in bringing the film to fruition all sharing their perspectives and memories.

• Commentary with director Olivia Peace, writer Jess Zeidman, cinematographer Tehillah De Castro, editor Troy Lewis, and sound designer Justin Enoch
• Trailer (1:48) (HD)
• Alternative Trailer (2:30) (HD)

Final Thoughts: Worth a Look

Let's address the elephant in the room: While it IS funny that both this and Shiva Baby are films about young female Jewish queerness centered around funerals released in 2020, AND that they both feature Rachel Sennot in a prominent role, I think that their differences in subject matter, concerns and execution are more than enough to set them apart from one another.

I'm not wild about Tahara, but I fully acknowledge that it does have some truly unique points of interest. First of all, Cassie is played by Madeline Grey DeFreece, a black actress and while her race is not a direct component of the story, it is still a very unique thing to see a film with a black, queer, Jewish, female point of view character. And not for nothing, but DeFreece is very good and engaging in the role. Her performance is more than enough to justify giving this one a watch, whether you decide to own a copy or not.