

In an era of political repression and growing social conservatism in Turkey, the Istanbul drag scene thrives.
Anna Tholia
Gia Androgeny

In an era of political repression and growing social conservatism in Turkey, the Istanbul drag scene thrives.
2024-06-13
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7.0Dr. Mark Fairchild, world-renowned archaeologist, traces the hidden years of Saint Paul's life in the mountainous Turkish countryside of Rough Cilicia.
The story of Le Palace, the famous parisian night club in the late seventies. The documentary is a conversation between ex-clients, founders and workers of the place. Owned by Fabrice Emaer, this nightclub became in 1978 the center of the french social life.
3.0In this rags to riches origin story, Lady Camden struggles to manage the demands of her freshly minted international fame, while Rex is forced to come to terms with the troubling childhood he left behind in Camden which drove him to so desperately seek joy, fantasy and escape through the performing arts.
4.0Victorian Queens takes a deep dive into the weird, wonderful and utterly unique landscape of Melbourne's drag community.
4.0“It ain’t easy…being green” is the favorite expression of Stormé DeLarverie, a woman whose life flouted prescriptions of gender and race. During the 1950s and '60s she toured the black theater circuit as a mistress of ceremonies and the sole male impersonator of the legendary Jewel Box Revue, America’s first integrated female impersonation show and forerunner of La Cage aux Folles.
7.2Avant-Drag! paints portraits of ten drag artists of varying gender expressions and sexualities who take to the streets of Athens to query, problematise and (yes, please!) undermine social strictures. Employing wildly imagined personas – like riot housewives and Albanian turbo-folk girls – who perform acts as revolutionary as praising abortion and as charming as drawing childish pictures, these artists call for social justice by taking aim at conservatism, patriarchy, patriotism, racism and sexism.
0.0A small skit-documentary hybrid, written, shot and edited all in the space of a couple of hours on the 25th of October 2021, by exclusively myself, for a university project.
8.0Where does voguing come from, and what, exactly, is throwing shade? This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City's African American and Latinx Harlem drag-ball scene. Made over seven years, PARIS IS BURNING offers an intimate portrait of rival fashion "houses," from fierce contests for trophies to house mothers offering sustenance in a world rampant with homophobia, transphobia, racism, AIDS, and poverty. Featuring legendary voguers, drag queens, and trans women — including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, and Venus Xtravaganza.
0.0Akademija Republika shows a group of people gathered around the club from 1981 until 1995 and how it changed and influenced the cultural and night life around them.
1.0Portrait documentary of the Swedish drag show pioneer Christer Lindarw and his life both on and off the stage.
7.0Intimate documentary exploring how Paul O'Grady's creation, Lily Savage, took mainstream TV by storm. Unravel the real story of Lily with insights from Paul's daughter and famous pals.
5.0Focuses on the collaboration between cabaret and drag artist Joey Arias and master puppeteer Basil Twist, whose 2008 show brought them some of the biggest success of their careers.
10.0Showcasing three short films by American writer James Baldwin, wherein he muses about race, sexuality and civil rights, among other topics, in Istanbul, Paris and Great Britain.
6.2In 1967, New York City is host to the Miss All-American Camp Beauty Pageant. This documentary takes a look behind the scenes, transporting the viewer into rehearsals and dressing rooms as the drag queen subculture prepares for this big national beauty contest. Jack/Sabrina is the mistress of ceremonies, and their protégé, Miss Harlow, is in the competition. But, as the pageant approaches, the glamorous contestants veer from camaraderie to tension.
8.0Richard Rhodes, AKA Cookie MonStar, has been in the drag industry for 21 years. This Documentary follows the highs and lows of his successes and failures. It focuses on following your dreams, what it is to be a man and the pressures of life within the industry. This is an insight into the entertainment industry; shows you the underground and commercial drag scenes; asks you what it is to dream and inspires you to question yourself and your beliefs.
7.6In this filmed version of cult film director John Waters' popular one-man show, the Pink Flamingos and A Dirty Shame director takes the stage to discuss everything from his early influences, fondest career memories, and notorious struggles against the MPAA rating system. Part endearing memoir and part hilarious lecture, This Filthy World touches on everything from the insanity of contemporary pop culture to the director's unforgettable early collaborations with inimitable Pink Flamingos star Divine.
7.0Gilda Love / Eduardo, the last transformist of the Chinese neighborhood of Barcelona, survives with a miserable pension while trying to continue acting on stage. His priorities are altered with the arrival to his life of Chloe and her mother, Hanna, with whom he will have the opportunity to form the family he has never had.
0.0Follow Ruby Chopstix, Canada’s first drag artist-in-residence, as they navigate the complexity of being an underrepresented drag performer while creating a special showcase to create space for other queer BIPOC performers.
6.5A box found in an abandoned storage unit unearths a time capsule of correspondences from a forgotten era: the underground drag scene in 1950s New York City. Firsthand accounts and newly discovered footage help cast a long overdue spotlight on the unsung pioneers of drag.