The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela (2008)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Olaf de Fleur Johannesson

Writers:

Olaf de Fleur Johannesson (screenplay)
Benedikt Jóhannesson (writer)

Release Date:

10 October 2008 (Iceland)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

A Cinderella Story

Plot:

Raquela, a transsexual from the Philippines, dreams of escaping the streets of Cebu City for a fairy tale life in Paris.

Plot Keywords:

Iceland | Philippines | Ladyboy | Porn Star | Internet

Awards:

4 wins

Cast

Raquela Rios	...	Herself
Stefan C. Schaefer	...	Ardilo, Michael (as Stefan Schaefer)
Olivia Galudo	...	Olivia (also as Via Galudo)
Brax Villa	...	Aubrey
Valerie Grand Einarsson	...	Vala Einarsson (also as Valerie Grand) (as Valeria Grand Einarsson)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Amor Alingasa	...	Amor
Raniel Dave Balasabas	...	Young Raquela friend
Ren Christian Balasabas	...	Young Raqulea
Margret Eggertsdottir	...	Horse shepard
Edith Galudo	...	Via's Mom
Marcus Kalberer	...	Johnny K
Hronn Kristinsdottir	...	Woman in Fish Factory
Luis Labandero	...	Pimp
Archie Modequillo	...	Clerk
Reynaldo Palatulon	...	Taxi driver
Ingibjorg Sigurdardottir	...	Lonely Older Woman
Eggert Horgdal Snorrason	...	Driver Fish Factory
Alexsis Yap	...	Joselito

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content, language and some nudity.

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

Iceland | Philippines | France | Thailand

Language:

Icelandic | Visayan | English | Thai

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Iceland:14 | USA:R | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB)

Filming Locations:

Bangkok, Thailand

Company:

Cicala Filmworks

Trivia:

Brax Villa and Via Galudo - Raquela's friends in the film are her real friends.

A funny and touching story

Curiosity doesn't always kill the cat! I stumbled upon this movie at the Copenhagen "Cinemateket" during the Gay & Lesbian film festival. Having lived in France and the Philippines, and once having visited Iceland, I grew curious about the movie. I had heard about transsexuals while in the Philippines and had no opinion about them, but the film seemed to have some funny aspects, so I found myself a chaperon and there I went! I am glad I went, I unfortunately missed the first 5 or 10 minutes, but the rest did definitely leave its mark on me.

I somewhat disagree with the movie tag line "A Cinderella Story," there is some of "this" of course but it is only a side line. I read that the movie was first intended to be a documentary and that gives it a fast pace and veracity. It is actually quite difficult to distinguish between what would be fictional and what is reenacted. The acting is not always strict professional work but is intense and succeed in communicating feelings to the spectator...it works well! The plot seems sometimes to be "too go to be true" but the film moves on and keeps you interested until the end. Some the scenes are actually funny and the audience laughed more than once.

It is a tale about "differences," about "weirdness" and tolerance. The Elephant Man of David Lynch said "I am a human being," this is never spelled out by Raquela but the message is the same and is delivered in a deep and moving way.

I don't recall any embarrassing or disturbing scene, there is almost no nudity and always displayed in a non provocative way. Queen Raquela should not be categorized as a "militant" movie, it just a movie about life, a strange life, a non conventional life but absolutely human. I would be glad that Queen Raquela gets away from too many Gay & Lesbian film festivals and reaches a wider audience, it deserves it!