drama queens
Drama Queens (Dir: Sjöberg, Photo:
Brochu)
Drama Queens is
an ethnographic documentary. It is made as an introductory
part of a practice-based PhD in Drama at the University
of Manchester, UK.
Director, Cameraman and
Researcher: Johannes Sjöberg
Sound, Camera and Directing
Assistance: Renato Morita
Research Assistance: Dinah
Feldman
The film focuses on the life of two transsexual
actresses at Os Satyros (The Satyrs), a theatre
in central São Paulo, Brazil. The film explores
the lives of Bibi and Fabia, on and off stage.
The ethnographic documentary is an
introduction to the ethnofiction that was filmed during
spring and summer 2006. The function of the documentary
can be summarized in three points:
- Establishing the fieldwork: The
production of the documentary gave me a chance to
find the protagonists for the ethnofiction, and cultivate
a friendship based on mutual trust.
- Ethnographic research: The documentary
became a tool of ethnographic research when exploring
transgendered performance in São Paulo.
- Reference point for the ethnofiction:
Comparing the working process of the documentary with
the ethnofiction gave me a practice-based perspective
on the approach of the ethnofiction.
Theatre Os Satyros at Praça
Roosevelt in the old city centre in São Paulo.
(Images: fotosedm.hpg.ig.com.br, satyros.com.br, wikimedia.org
and Sjöberg 2005)
Synopsis: The transsexual actresses
Bibi and Fabia work at the theatre 'Os Satyros' in central
São Paulo. The theatre is run by Rodolfo García
Vázquez and Ivam Cabral. 'Os Satyros' is famous
for involving the theatre's environment in the plays.
The transgendred community plays an important part of
the life at Roosevelt Square where the theatre is located.
The documentary 'Drama Queens' shows Bibi's and Fabia's
life on and off stage.
Bibi and Fabia represent two very different periods
in the development of transgendered culture in São
Paulo. Bibi, 36 years old, represents a period of fear
of AIDS and violence in São Paulo, and a dawning
resistance against discrimination among transsexuals
and travestis in Brazil. Fabia is 25 years old. She
is a modern transsexual, having her own hairdressing
saloon in Cotia, a suburb of São Paulo.
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The video clip is compressed and encoded to WMV 1024
kbps. The scenes are translated and subtitled to English.
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The documentary is in postproduction.
The nine minutes long video clip above shows four samples
from the documentary:
The Pride Parade in São Paulo,
which is the biggest gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual
and travesti parade in Latin America.
Savanah 'Bibi' Mireiles votes in a
referendum concerning disarmament in Brazil.
Fabia Mirassos visits a beauty clinic
to remove her facial hair with laser.
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