Change Your Image
dbjacob
Reviews
Queens of Heart: Community Therapists in Drag (2006)
A richly rewarding film
Queens of Heart, a short film about drag performance, delivers all the scope and depth of a feature length documentary, and does it better than any of those I've seen. I found it altogether informative, deliciously entertaining and thought provoking. The film brings the viewer into the longest running drag club in the nation, a place I might never have ventured into on my own, and engages intimately in conversation with Darcelle, the club's founder and primary star, as well as other performers and guests. What an astounding revelation, that here are ordinary people from all parts of the community; people who work in the club and people who come for a novel night outthe "bachelorette" parties, celebrations of coming out, coming to terms with other aspects of gender and identity, or just for fun. The filmmaker brings to her perspective on the club a deeply human and personal portrayal of Darcelle's origins in a small logging community near Portland, shows the evolution of the club itself, and highlights the special therapeutic role that Darcelle has played in the community. Moreover, the director creatively reveals a theoretical side of what makes drag performance so funny. In this regard the film tickles our brains, our hearts, and our funny bones all at once.