Watch: ‘Dressed As A Girl’ showcases East London’s LGBT scene
In his feature film debut, UK director Colin Rothbart pulls off the wigs and wipes off the mascara to unveil the real people behind East London’s alternative drag scene. Following in the tradition of Paris Is Burning and The Cockettes, Rothbart’s ‘frockumentary’ Dressed As A Girl – in cinemas this week – gives the East End moment its much-deserved moment in the mainstream spotlight.
Following some of its most celebrated performers over the course of six years, the film stars familiar faces such as Jonny Woo, John Sizzle, Holestar, Scottee, Amber, Pia and Ma Butcher dazzle and surprise with their on-stage antics.
There is enough eye make-up and sequins on display to sink a battleship, but at the heart of this surprisingly intimate portrait is the dark side of their lives: The relentless quest for glamorous originality often comes at a personal cost. In the course of the documentary, these London underground mainstays open up about their various encounters with sex, drink, drugs, emotional and mental struggles, plastic surgery and HIV.
Check out the trailer below:
Dressed As A Girl is at cinemas from October 2, playing at Vue Cinemas around the UK from October 4 and on DVD and on-demand from December 7.
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