THE QUEEN (1968)

+ Zackary Drucker (Transparent) and Asis D'Orange in conversation

++DJ Tanzer before/after in the Salon

More than 40 years before RuPaul's Drag Race, this ground-breaking documentary directed by Frank Simon about the 1967 Miss All-American Camp Beauty Pageant introduced audiences to the world of competitive drag. The film takes us backstage to kiki with the contestants as they rehearse, throw shade, and transform into their drag personas in the lead-up to the big event. Organised by LGBTQ icon and activist Flawless Sabrina, the competition boasted a star-studded panel of judges including Andy Warhol, Larry Rivers, and Terry Southern. But perhaps most memorable is an epic diatribe calling out the pageant's bias delivered by Crystal LaBeija, who would go on to form the influential House of LaBeija, heavily featured in Paris Is Burning (1990). A vibrant piece of queer history, The Queen can now be seen in full resplendence thanks to a new restoration from the original camera negative.

The Capitol presents a screening of The Queen in resplendent 4k followed by a conversation with Zackary Drucker (USA), Asis D'Orange (ISR) and Nic Holas (Change.Org). DJ Tanzer will play before/after in The Salon.

Zackary Drucker is an independent artist, cultural producer, and trans woman who breaks down the way we think about gender, sexuality, and seeing. She has performed and exhibited her work internationally in museums, galleries, and film festivals including the Whitney Biennial 2014, MoMA PS1, Hammer Museum, Art Gallery of Ontario, MCA San Diego, and SF MoMA, among others. Drucker is an Emmy-nominated Producer for the docuseries This Is Me, as well as a Producer on Golden Globe and Emmy-winning Transparent.

Aviv Shalem, aka Asis D'Orange, is a gender-blending fashionista drag performer from Tel Aviv. As a genderqueer Arab-Jew raised in a religious household, Asis found themselves at several intersections of society. In drag Asis found a place to delve into fashion and art from a distinctly political, anarchist and genderqueer perspective. Their star has been on the rise since 2017 when they took home the crown in the Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival’s first drag competition.

Nic Holas is a queer writer and activist. His writing on HIV, queer politics, and RuPauls' Drag Race have been published in The Saturday Paper, The Guardian, Sydney Morning Herald, Archer Magazine, Hello Mr, Junkee, and across queer media. Nic features in the new literary anthology, Growing Up Queer in Australia and he is also campaigns director at Change.org Australia.

Tanzer is in the business of escapism - and escape you shall. The musician/director/diva/drag king is also a dark and shimmering DJ force, injecting romance and glamour into crossover dancefloors in Australia and beyond. She’s a connoisseur of the ‘deep fried disco’ genre and a master of holding a dancefloor - transporting ecstatic crowds to another time and place. before/after the film in the Salon.

$22 full / $18 conc* / $15 RMIT**

thecapitol.rmit.edu.au

Co-Presented with the Festival of Jewish Art and Music (FOJAM).

*valid student or concession card

**RMIT staff and students only. RMIT email address required to book this price.

Doors 6pm, feature 645pm, DJ and drinks til til 10pm