Queen's Illusion
Diversity
•
21m
In an era of political repression and growing social conservatism in Turkey, the Istanbul drag scene thrives. This absorbing and illuminating half-hour documentary goes backstage to speak with those at its heart. Cake Mosq, Pepi IV, Ahsen Gönülce, Anna Tholia and Gia Androgeny are some of the most popular and admired drag queens in the country, from very diverse backgrounds. From the elements that go into creating a glamorous persona to the hard work needed to be successful, from the ever-present threat of public harassment, or worse, to the new opportunities opening up in the online world, the five speak candidly about the challenges and illusion of staging drag in a country like Turkey, and their roles as flag bearers in a sometimes-hostile world.
Director(s): Ceren Özkanlı Samlı and Erinç Durlanık
2024 | 21 minutes
Turkey
Language(s): Turkish
Subtitles: English
Up Next in Diversity
-
Little Big Dreams
This documentary tells the story of India’s only all-dwarf theater group. Many of them once worked as clowns in circuses, but through theater, they have found respect, dignity, and love. They are now building their own village, with homes made to fit their needs. It’s where they live, practice, a...
-
Forward
While navigating a myriad of life challenges, Anjelica turned to the outdoors to improve her mental health only to discover a noticeable lack of other plus-size women of color on trail. By posting a simple flyer looking for more women to hike with, Anjelica created a community she never could hav...
-
Last Chance for Justice *Viewer Discr...
[Trigger Warning] Human rights activist Azimjan Askarov was imprisoned in Kyrgyzstan in 2010 for a crime he says he did not commit. Ever since then, his wife Hadicha has campaigned tirelessly for his release. Now she sees one last chance for justice, in an appeal hearing at the country's supreme ...