Our Bodies & Other Shames

In Our Bodies and Other Shames, three childhood friends reunite for a sleepover in Brooklyn after one of them is diagnosed with breast cancer and faces an impending surgery. Over the course of the night, tensions arise as old wounds are reopened and secrets are brought to light, but as the past and present collide and embodied girlhood memories come into focus, the strong bonds of friendship remain.

Set within a Modern Orthodox community and weaving together threads of memory, identity, and religion, Our Bodies and Other Shames explores intersecting questions of faith, gender, illness, and female friendship. Director Jenny Lester and writer Malka Wallick bring warmth and emotional specificity to the film, creating a portrait of Jewish womanhood that is at once intimate and expansive, as well as affirming the importance of chosen family in navigating life’s most difficult challenges. —Johanna Gustin

West Coast Premiere

Jenny Lester is a New York–based filmmaker, writer, director, and actor. She is the co-founder of Shallow Graves Productions, where she develops independent film, television, and theater projects. Her feature What She Said (2021), which she wrote, produced, and starred in, is available on major streaming platforms. Her directing work spans film, television, and theater, including projects developed with institutions such as Sundance Labs and various independent theater companies. Lester also works across writing and production in both scripted and devised formats, developing new work for screen and stage through her production company.