CENTERPIECE: BEING BEBE: THE BEBE ZAHARA BENET DOCUMENTARY
SATURDAY, OCT 16, 7:00 PM, SIFF EGYPTIAN CINEMA &
VIRTUAL (OCT 14–24)
SPONSORED BY:
CO-PRESENT WITH:
LuChi
Emily Branham; 2021; USA; 93 min.
Before and after the reality show, there is still reality. This intimate profile turns the spotlight on the charismatic drag performer Marshall Ngwa, aka BeBe Zahara Benet, who immigrated to the United States with dreams of a better life—and then won the first season of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2009. Using over 15 years of archival clips and interviews, from his upbringing in Cameroon (where homosexuality is illegal) and his rise through the amateur circuit all the way to award-winning American television, a music career, and his recent performance tour, this entertaining and insightful close-up chronicles the ups and downs of a hardworking creative artist who is helping define the modern queer Black experience. It’s also been a hit on the festival circuit, taking home the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Provincetown Film Festival.
CONTENT WARNINGS: NO CONTENT WARNING