Zola

Zola is a 2020 American black comedy crime film directed by Janicza Bravo and co-written by Bravo and Jeremy O. Harris. It is based on a viral Twitter thread from 2015 by Aziah "Zola" King and the resulting Rolling Stone article "Zola Tells All: The Real Story Behind the Greatest Stripper Saga Ever Tweeted" by David Kushner. Starring Taylour Paige, Riley Keough, Nicholas Braun, and Colman Domingo, the film follows a part-time stripper who is convinced by her new friend to go on a roadtrip to Tampa, Florida, in order to earn money, only to get in over her head. Zola premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2020, where it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize. It was theatrically released in the United States on June 30, 2021, following a year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film received positive reviews from critics and earned a leading seven nominations at the 37th Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay with two wins for Best Female Lead for Paige and Best Editing for Joi McMillon. Plot Aziah "Zola" King, a self-assured waitress and part-time stripper in Detroit, meets Stefani, an outgoing and crass fellow stripper, while serving her at work. Stefani invites Zola to dance with her at a club that night, and the two become friends. The next day, Stefani proposes that Zola join her on a road trip to Tampa, Florida, the location of a strip club where Stefani claims the two can make significant money. Zola joins Stefani; her mysterious roommate, X; and Stefani's dimwitted boyfriend, Derrek, on a road trip. Upon arriving in Tampa, Stefani, Zola, and X leave Derrek at a seedy motel while they visit the club where Stefani claims her friends earned over $5,000 in one night. The two perform at the club, but do not net nearly as much as Stefani insisted they would. After, Zola learns that Stefani and X have posted photos of her and Stefani in a Backpage advertisement, selling them for sex. Zola attempts to leave, but is threatened by X, who reveals himself to be Stefani's pimp.