Since homosexuality is socially unacceptable in the Islamic world, several queer people live dual lives to be able to survive in a culture that ridicules and frowns upon gays and lesbians.
On the other hand, denial of ones sexual identity and willingness to lead double lives leads to several vices in a culture that thrives on machismo. I feel it is imperative that the queer communities in the Islamic world acknowledge and accept their sexual orientation before hoping to change the perception of others. I understand it is no easy task, as queers are being hanged in Iran, and being persecuted in countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Malaysia. I made this movie with the hope to create awareness about the subject. Moreover, I want my audience, particularly the queer audience, to start taking responsibility for their actions and not be afraid due to social, cultural and religious constraints.
Furthermore, September 11 terrorist attacks made it very difficult for many immigrants, especially immigrants from Middle-eastern countries, to stay in the United States. Several immigrants stay in the U.S. even after their visas expire with the hope for a better life, and some of these immigrants happen to be closet homosexuals. After hearing stories of queer Middle-eastern men marrying women in the U.S. so that they don't get deported, the basic idea of Between Places was born.
It is my first movie and there are some technical flaws. It is a low budget movie with a captivating story that is shot on locations in the beautiful city of San Francisco, which I call my home now. So forgive me for any shortcoming as this is my first narrative feature. You can watch the trailer of Between Places at : www.betweenplacesmovie.com or visit www.myspace.com/between_places_movie to watch sneak peeks.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Why A Documentary On Drag ?
While I was shooting Drag and later when I began editing, a lot of people asked me what is it that I want to say with this documentary ? And why did I make a movie on drag when there are so many drag movies out there ? The answer is…..as long as stereotypes exist about something, there is room for more to be said and done. Another movie about drag would further do away with misconceptions about drag and what it is all about.
After living in San Francisco for six years and after learning about the different sub cultures within the LGBT community, I found Drag Queens and Drag Kings fascinating yet scary. At the heart of it was my prejudice against Drag Queens. I guess it was typical, as many gay men find it to be a turn-off if another man puts on make-up and emulates a woman. The logic being that as a gay man one is attracted to another man instead of a member of the opposite sex. Even though these men frequently visit drag bars and drag shows, they wouldn't like to be friends with or be in a relationship with someone who does drag.
In addition to being one of those men, I had to overcome my fears and apprehensions about men emulating women, which I developed early on as a child. As far as I remember I was four or five years old when I used to put my mothers make-up, only to be caught and scolded. It was similar to the opening scene of the movie, Torch Song Trilogy when a young Harvey Fierstein is caught putting on his mother's make-up. I understood it be a very bad thing when boys played with their mommy's lipsticks. I thought it to be a mental illness of some kind when men become interested in wearing women's clothing and make-up.
Fast forward to the fall of 2005 in San Francisco, my partner and one of our friends decided to do drag for Halloween. The fact that my partner shaved off his goatee just for this one night, to dress up like a girl, got me thinking. Later my sister visited me, for the first time since I moved here, in January 2006 and I came out to her. The fact that she wasn't visibly taken aback was very comforting and this encouraged me to introduce her to my new world and to all my new friends and acquaintances.
One evening she showed interest in watching a drag show and possibly record it on her new video camera. Since Trannyshack is the only drag show in San Francisco on a weekday (that I knew of),we hopped in the car and went over to The Stud. This was the first time my sister, from Pakistan, was in a queer club surrounded by transsexuals, lesbians, gay men of all ages belonging to different scenes and female impersonators.
Soon after we walked in, Heklina (Hostess and Founder of Trannyshack) opened the show with one of her jaw dropping and hilarious performances. My sister immediately began recording it on her brand new video camera. On our way back from the show, my sister remarked, " I saw a drag show in Bangkok and drag queens were all so pretty and looked like real girls." I knew she was comparing the female impersonators of Thailand with that of Trannyshack where drag queens don't necessarily try to pass as a woman, and where it is primarily about performance art. This got me thinking more about the drag queens and why they do what they do ? And why some look really pretty and look like real women, whereas, others are not afraid to be known that they are actually men in heels ?
It was then that the idea of a documentary about San Francisco's drag culture was born. I made a list of drag queens to contact and began calling and e-mailing them. Marlena (Owner of the Marlena's Bar) and Heklina (Founder of Trannyshack) were the first two I made contact with and both of them graciously agreed to be interviewed and be in the documentary. The rest, as they say, is history. What transpired in the last one year (in 2006) was a documentary, which takes an upclose and personal look at San Francisco's drag scene.
After making this documentary and being closely involved with some of San Francisco's legends and with some icons in the making, I have developed utmost respect and admiration for men and women who are not afraid to push the envelope with gender illusion. And for whom drag means different things as opposed to the stereotypical notion most people have about drag. I hope after watching this documentary people from all walks of life, people from different cultural backgrounds, and people of different sexual orientations would feel the same way as I do now.
Amir Jaffer
Director, Cinematographer and Editor
Drag – Not Just Men in Heels
www.dragmovie.com
www.myspace.com/dragmovie
After living in San Francisco for six years and after learning about the different sub cultures within the LGBT community, I found Drag Queens and Drag Kings fascinating yet scary. At the heart of it was my prejudice against Drag Queens. I guess it was typical, as many gay men find it to be a turn-off if another man puts on make-up and emulates a woman. The logic being that as a gay man one is attracted to another man instead of a member of the opposite sex. Even though these men frequently visit drag bars and drag shows, they wouldn't like to be friends with or be in a relationship with someone who does drag.
In addition to being one of those men, I had to overcome my fears and apprehensions about men emulating women, which I developed early on as a child. As far as I remember I was four or five years old when I used to put my mothers make-up, only to be caught and scolded. It was similar to the opening scene of the movie, Torch Song Trilogy when a young Harvey Fierstein is caught putting on his mother's make-up. I understood it be a very bad thing when boys played with their mommy's lipsticks. I thought it to be a mental illness of some kind when men become interested in wearing women's clothing and make-up.
Fast forward to the fall of 2005 in San Francisco, my partner and one of our friends decided to do drag for Halloween. The fact that my partner shaved off his goatee just for this one night, to dress up like a girl, got me thinking. Later my sister visited me, for the first time since I moved here, in January 2006 and I came out to her. The fact that she wasn't visibly taken aback was very comforting and this encouraged me to introduce her to my new world and to all my new friends and acquaintances.
One evening she showed interest in watching a drag show and possibly record it on her new video camera. Since Trannyshack is the only drag show in San Francisco on a weekday (that I knew of),we hopped in the car and went over to The Stud. This was the first time my sister, from Pakistan, was in a queer club surrounded by transsexuals, lesbians, gay men of all ages belonging to different scenes and female impersonators.
Soon after we walked in, Heklina (Hostess and Founder of Trannyshack) opened the show with one of her jaw dropping and hilarious performances. My sister immediately began recording it on her brand new video camera. On our way back from the show, my sister remarked, " I saw a drag show in Bangkok and drag queens were all so pretty and looked like real girls." I knew she was comparing the female impersonators of Thailand with that of Trannyshack where drag queens don't necessarily try to pass as a woman, and where it is primarily about performance art. This got me thinking more about the drag queens and why they do what they do ? And why some look really pretty and look like real women, whereas, others are not afraid to be known that they are actually men in heels ?
It was then that the idea of a documentary about San Francisco's drag culture was born. I made a list of drag queens to contact and began calling and e-mailing them. Marlena (Owner of the Marlena's Bar) and Heklina (Founder of Trannyshack) were the first two I made contact with and both of them graciously agreed to be interviewed and be in the documentary. The rest, as they say, is history. What transpired in the last one year (in 2006) was a documentary, which takes an upclose and personal look at San Francisco's drag scene.
After making this documentary and being closely involved with some of San Francisco's legends and with some icons in the making, I have developed utmost respect and admiration for men and women who are not afraid to push the envelope with gender illusion. And for whom drag means different things as opposed to the stereotypical notion most people have about drag. I hope after watching this documentary people from all walks of life, people from different cultural backgrounds, and people of different sexual orientations would feel the same way as I do now.
Amir Jaffer
Director, Cinematographer and Editor
Drag – Not Just Men in Heels
www.dragmovie.com
www.myspace.com/dragmovie
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