Immigrating from Cameroon, where Queerness is criminalized, a young man finds his purpose through performance and eventually becomes the very first winner of iconic reality show RuPaul’s Drag Race. Marshall Ngwa (aka BeBe Zahara Benet) came to the US in pursuit of education and discovered his gifts in the art form of drag. Filmed over 15 years, the documentary parallels Marshall’s fight to maintain the trajectory of his career alongside a deep connection with his traditional African roots and family.
AWARDS:
WarnerMedia Audience Award for Best Documentary - Provincetown International Film Festival - 2021,
Jury Award for Best Documentary - Sound Unseen Music & Film Festival - 2021,
Documentary Centerpiece - Outfest - 2021
Director Bio/Statement:
Emily specializes in unexpected & intimate films about artists. Previous shorts screened at IDFA, Sheffield, & Rooftop Films; client documentaries for Lincoln Center, AT&T, JPMorgan & more. Originally from Minneapolis, Emily studied film at Northwestern University and lives in NYC.
- DirectorEmily Branham
- ProducerEmily Branham, Marc Smolowitz, Jonathan Goodman Levitt
- Co-ProducerBat-Sheva Guez, Diego Wyatt
- CastMarshall Ngwa aka BeBe Zahara Benet
- EditorEmily Branham, James Codoyannis
- ComposerHélène Faussart (Les Nubians)
Immigrating from Cameroon, where Queerness is criminalized, a young man finds his purpose through performance and eventually becomes the very first winner of iconic reality show RuPaul’s Drag Race. Marshall Ngwa (aka BeBe Zahara Benet) came to the US in pursuit of education and discovered his gifts in the art form of drag. Filmed over 15 years, the documentary parallels Marshall’s fight to maintain the trajectory of his career alongside a deep connection with his traditional African roots and family.
AWARDS:
WarnerMedia Audience Award for Best Documentary - Provincetown International Film Festival - 2021,
Jury Award for Best Documentary - Sound Unseen Music & Film Festival - 2021,
Documentary Centerpiece - Outfest - 2021
Director Bio/Statement:
Emily specializes in unexpected & intimate films about artists. Previous shorts screened at IDFA, Sheffield, & Rooftop Films; client documentaries for Lincoln Center, AT&T, JPMorgan & more. Originally from Minneapolis, Emily studied film at Northwestern University and lives in NYC.
- DirectorEmily Branham
- ProducerEmily Branham, Marc Smolowitz, Jonathan Goodman Levitt
- Co-ProducerBat-Sheva Guez, Diego Wyatt
- CastMarshall Ngwa aka BeBe Zahara Benet
- EditorEmily Branham, James Codoyannis
- ComposerHélène Faussart (Les Nubians)