Hello and welcome to five things I'm Dana Taylor, today is Sunday June 18th, 2023.

Happy Father's Day!

The summer of 2021 saw viral surge in TikToks from young women on the cusp of rushing at

the University of Alabama.

At the time director Rachel Fleet had been considering making a documentary about the

secret of world of sorority life.

This was her opening, and Bama Rush, which follows four of these young women, Fleet explored

the pressures young women currently feel to fit in.

In the process, she also discovered some surprising insights into her own coming of age story.

Bama Rush was recently released on Max.

Rachel, thanks so much for joining us.

Thanks so much for having me, it's great to be here.

To reach out as a filmmaker, you've earned a reputation for creating intimate portraits

of people struggling with sensitive issues.

In the case of Selma Blair, MS, in the case of Eva and Bianca being transgender in a male

dominated profession, when some of us think of a sorority, we think of a place where

pretty young women go to get their social standing confirmed.

What is it about their struggles that made you want to make them your focus?

When the hashtag Bama Rush sort of exploded on TikTok, I found myself looking at all of

these videos and just watching what we would sort of identify as pretty young women who

sort of meet the beauty ideal quite easily.

Long blonde hair, thin, great tans, beautiful dresses, etc.

...