Sheva, Sarah, and Tali were inseparable as children, but their long-lasting friendship has fluctuated over time. A decade after their friendship ended, they reunite for one night in the Brooklyn of their youth, forcing them to confront the events that tore them apart. Using in-camera tricks and smooth edits to move effectively between three different periods in their lives, the film traces the evolution of their friendship—from the closeness of childhood memories to the fallout that has made their adult lives and friendship volatile. Featuring notable performances by Tony and Grammy Award nominee Micaela Diamond (tick, tick… BOOM!) and SAG Award winner Alysia Reiner (Better Things), Our Bodies & Other Shames is a Sundance Lab finalist that marks a contained and inspired feature debut for director Jenny Lester and writer/producer Malka Wallick.
The film has a very indie sensibility but does not call attention to its filmmaking in an overt way, instead allowing the frames to create space for the actors to be expressive and tell the story through emotion. Much of the film’s strength lies in how the characters react to their different life situations, tracing the paths they have taken and how those choices have shaped them as they reunite. The dramatic charge of the film comes from what brings them back together: the realization that they may have spent much more of their lives than they realized jeopardizing and neglecting some of their most important relationships, particularly as health concerns for one of the women become increasingly serious.
Their shared heritage and experience as women bind them together. The film traces the unique coming-of-age journeys they each experienced and how they navigated the cultural expectations and restrictions placed upon them. In that way, Our Bodies & Other Shames stands out as a memorable journey, offering a unique look into a specific friendship dynamic and how it changes with age.
Our Bodies and Other Shames is playing at TJFF ’26. For more information, click here.
