Wigstock: The Movie (1995)

Directed by

Barry Shils

Genre

documentary film, musical film, LGBTQ-related film

Country

Germany, United States

Runtime

1h 25m

Rated

R

Rating

5.7 of 10 from 13 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

This documentary covers the 1994 Wigstock festival, an annual drag music event in New York City. It shows performances from drag queens and musicians, and includes interviews with performers and crew about the importance of drag and gender expression.

celebratorycampyjoyfulupbeatlivelybehind-the-scenescolorfulaffirming

What happens

Wigstock: The Movie is a 1995 documentary film focusing on Wigstock, the annual drag music festival that had been held New York City's East Village through the 1980s and 1990s. The film presents a number of performances from the 1994 festival, including Crystal Waters, Deee-Lite, Jackie Beat, Debbie Harry, Leigh Bowery, Joey Arias, Freddie Pendavis, and the Dueling Bankheads. The film also captures a performance by RuPaul at the height of his mainstream fame during the 1990s. The film also goes behind the scenes, examining the rehearsal process of a number of the performers including Lypsinka and the "Wigstock Dancers." Members of the crew assembling the stage and attendees are interviewed about their experiences at the festival and some of the performers give interviews about the importance of drag and transgressive gender expression in their lives. One memorable moment features Wigstock MC Lady Bunny on the telephone with a city representative inquiring about the possibility of placing a wig on the Statue of Liberty. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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