Dressed as a Girl

This outrageous documentary about the east London alternative drag scene is every bit as chaotic as you would expect, given the vast quantities of drugs and sequins involved. A magpie’s collection of sparkly thongs and vamping, pathos and tragic backstory, director Colin Rothbart’s scattershot approach gradually scrapes away the glitter wigs to reveal six of the key figures at the heart of the subculture.

Rothbart’s investment of time – he shot the film over five years – means that the characters treat the camera as a confidante. We follow Amber Waze’s transition, and eavesdrop on her reunion with a father who struggles with pronouns and brings a shoplifted bottle of whisky to dinner. Female drag queen Holestar (aka ‘the tranny with a fanny’) discusses her battle with depression and suicidal thoughts. The fabulous Jonny Woo blithely chats about drug and alcohol-triggered organ failure. And DJ John Sizzle talks about his HIV diagnosis and his secret other life as an upholsterer.

Wendy Ide