Tribeca 2021: ‘As of Yet’ Film Review | As of Yet, written, directed and starring Taylor Garron and co-directed by Chanel James, debuted at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival as part of the Viewpoints programming. The film, mostly done in Zoom chats format, portrays Naomi, played by Taylor Garron, a black millennial postgrad from Brooklyn who shares an apartment with her white college best friend, Sara, played by Eva Victor, during the 2020 COVID pandemic.
It’s been four long months since the lockdown began and like most of New York, Naomi has been trapped inside her apartment. Her roommate escaped to Florida with her family, leaving Naomi all alone, and they’ve been struggling to communicate, especially since the start of the pandemic. Meanwhile, she’s also been connecting with a gentleman online and she thinks it might be time to meet up, even if that means breaking quarantine against her better judgment. But not everyone is happy with this plan.
Between numerous Zoom calls, eventual trips to the local CO-OP, online dating, and Black Lives Matter protests, Naomi is forced to deal with an issue she has been turning a blind eye to for too long — a so called best friend that’s not woke in the least and doesn’t show any concern for her BFF’s race-related struggles. Naomi shares her worries with her black girlfriends– Lyssa (played by Quinta Brunson), LGBTQIA activist and author of the book ‘She Memes Well,’ and Khadijah (played by Ayo Edebiri), an activist and influencer who will not stand for the disrespectful behavior Sara has been showing towards Naomi.
The most endearing part of the movie is when Naomi has a deep conversation via Zoom with her mom, Colleen Garron and dad, Christopher Garron, her parents in real life. Colleen expresses how proud she is of her daughter for marching in the BLM protests, for resisting, even though she never imagined her offspring would have to still be protesting as she did herself back in the eighties. Being a product of the civil rights movement herself, Naomi and her mother connect on an intellectual level, which brings them closer together.
Taylor Garron shows us how a young New Yorker manages to address a one-sided relationship with her roommate, have a new love interest and tackle social injustice, all during a world pandemic. While the film shows a specific viewpoint, I believe anyone can relate to at least one of Naomi’s issues.
As of Yet approaches a delicate subject in a light, humorous and creative way. The film respectfully pays homage to director Spike Lee as Naomi passes by a painting of ‘Do The Right Thing’s character, Bugging Out, on a neighborhood wall. Definitely worth the watch.
As of Yet is Taylor Garron and Chanel James’ second project together. Garron, who previously starred in James’s feature The Things We Do When We’re Alone, is a creator and performer based in Brooklyn. James is a director, writer, editor, and pop archivist from Atlanta.
DIRECTOR: Taylor Garron, Chanel James
SCREENWRITER: Taylor Garron
PRODUCER: Ashley Edouard, Taylor Garron
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jamal Solomon
EDITOR: Melissa Kan
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