Tahara

Perfectly expresses the deep invalidation brought about by the normality of whiteness—the desire to exist in proximity of that societal normality that only affirms the miseducation surrounding your identity. The blindness and ignorance held by this person is so… suffocating… yet you stay with them… you keep chasing this sense of normality within your marginal existence… you keep chasing this person, hoping that any validation they provide you will relieve you of the isolation trapping you…. But they’re not for you. They don’t see you. If you dare to challenge this normality; if you dare to break the niceties of this oppressive environment; if you are just honest, they throw you out.  Lately, all I have wanted to do is scream. For the entirety of my life, I’ve been clinging onto these narratives. I’ve been upholding these systems of control through these niceties, through my silence. I’ve been made into a vehicle for my own oppression. Truth to be told, I’m drowning. Turns out that respectability is bad 😱😱😱 who knew??? These white, heteronormative girls are wildin’ out. I’ve never hated Rachel Sennott more than I did in this film. I’m trying to be more empathetic towards privileged folks because I recognize that the only way these oppressive systems operate is by conditioning ignorance and apathy into the majority. You can’t know what you don’t know. But goddamn… it’s hard… it’s real hard.  Despite Shiva Baby’s formal strengths—namely the use of space—I have to say that Tahara is my preferred ‘Jewish Rachel Sennott 2020 film about kissing girls.’