Hedda

Crucially, none of the updated elements here are just for show. The idea of women being constrained and forced into pre-established roles is embedded into Hedda, and is only heightened by the Blackness and queerness in DaCosta’s version. Not that Hedda is especially bothered by her guests murmuring that their hostess is “duskier than I thought she would be”. She’s too busy manipulating anyone in her orbit, getting everyone to dance to her tune (at one point, quite literally). It’s a pleasure to watch her scheme, and a rare and magnificent sight to see a Black woman being this catty and devilish on screen.

DaCosta's script is full of allusions to Hedda’s past as a fiery woman and voracious lover, implying that she’s likely slept with everyone, regardless of gender, who is at her party. We see her assess the weaknesses of people and expertly play them like a violin, getting precisely what she wants exactly when she wants it. Her little barbs and these sapphic allusions account for much of the film’s humor, which played incredibly well with the audience at its world premiere at TIFF, where the film elicited moments of laughter as well as audible reactions of wonder. One shocking moment ended with the film in stunned silence, and then a man simply went, “wow.”