The Bacchae, written over fifteen-hundred years ago by Euripides–it’s the tragedy of mind and soul. Always led by a man, depicting Dionysus, Daphne (Zora Iman Crews) makes it her mission to change the dynamic of the classic play, and make herself the lead. The Daphne Project dives into the human psyche as Daphne challenges every stereotype, and does everything she can to change the world.
I mean this is the nicest way possible: The Daphne Project is a shit show. It’s all over the place, it touches on so many different topics, and it refuses to pigeonhole itself into adhering to anything that the world thinks it should be. The cast and crew should be proud that they weren’t moved in any particular direction and stayed true to themselves. As a result of their sticktoitiveness, even with The Daphne Project being a veritable shit show, it manages to know exactly what it wants to be–and that’s just what it is.
The Daphne Project is a parody of everything that the world is today. It’s a parody of art, feminism, racism, the LGBTQ+ community, the left and the right, and everything in between. Its ridiculous nature attacks each of the aforementioned things head on, and it’s made very clear, from the opening moments, that The Daphne Project would refuse to pull punches–and it lives up to that promise. It’s not often that you see a film with a political agenda that is willing to blur the lines between right and left, refuse to take sides, and simply do everything it can to bring down the house. The Daphne Project, however, says “screw you” to every institution present today, and it allows viewers to look at the flaws of everything. Better than this, it allows viewers to form their own opinions. The comedy is presented in a way that is so absurd that, while viewers are aware that the production is making fun of these things, they are able to look past said comedy, and see the merit in the things being said as well.
I never know how to feel going into a film that I know will talk about politics, because I often watch film and television to escape the harrowing realities of life–so I try to keep an open mind. The Daphne Project makes viewers feel both immensely comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time–potentially inviting everyone to the table and asking them to take part in this constantly evolving conversation. This is probably the most comfortable I’ve been in the grand scheme of a politically and racially driven film, because, while it certainly possesses an agenda, that agenda is to make everyone think for themselves (something that is often overlooked nowadays, sometimes even forsaken).
This mockumentary is honest, maybe more honest than I’ve seen in a long while. The Daphne Project, again, aims to pull no punches, and it attacks the institutions of this world head on. The acting brings the dark, overwhelming realities of the world to life, but it also allows those harrowing details to be more accessible and acceptable. The way in which Writer-Directors Crews and Alec Tibaldi present the series of topics and absurdities is so meticulously and artistically done, that I truly believe everyone can find something to appreciate. In one of the most artistic mockumentaries that I’ve ever seen, The Daphne Project promises to be both eye opening and uplifting. It’s a film for everyone, and that’s hard to do.
Written & Directed by Zora Iman Crews & Alec Tibaldi.
Starring Zora Iman Crews, Jake Horowitz, April Lavelle, Reed Lancaster, Geena Quintos, Annie-Sage Whitehurst, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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