Avant-Drag!
Trailer
SYNOPSIS
Avant-Drag! offers an exhilarating look at ten Athenian drag performers who deconstruct gender, nationalism, belonging, identity, while facing police brutality, transphobia and racism. As entertaining as it is thought-provoking, Avant-Drag! challenges societal norms and reshapes perceptions about LGBTQ+ culture by capturing the intimate lives of a tightly-knit group of drag performers, proving that being othered never felt so familiar.
Gallery
Film Context
Police brutality and homophobic violence against LGBTQ+ individuals in Greece is on the rise, as evidenced by the high-profile murders of drag performers and activists Zak Kostopoulos (Zackie Oh) and Anna Ivankova. Avant-Drag! is an homage to Zackie who was a personal friend and collaborator of the film’s creative team.
The film captures the vibrancy of Athens’ underground drag scene and its role in pushing boundaries and expressing dissident identities. It goes beyond the mainstream representations of drag (and the Hollywoodian world of RuPaul) focusing on the more radical, explicitly political and raw performances.
Avant-Drag! is a love song to Athens; a city that can be as oppressive as it can be a refuge for art freaks and a hot-bed for creativity. The film examines the use of public space and street performance as acts of visibility and protest by the drag community — while also addressing the problem of gentrification that is increasingly a major challenge for underprivileged Athenians.
Avant-Drag! is influenced by the Greek “Weird Wave” cinema movement and adopts an avant-garde, hybrid cinematic language. It aims to be not just another ‘pride’ documentary of pensive talking heads but juxtaposes magical realism, political commentary and outrageous performances.
The film highlights issues of misogyny, homophobia, and xenophobia in Greek society through the experiences of its diverse drag performer subjects. The film takes an intersectional approach that showcases different aspects of oppression in modern Greece — also showcasing the effects of more than a decade of austerity and extreme financial hardship.
Cast & CREW
Directed & Edited by
Fil ieropoulos
Produced by
FYTA / Fil Ieropoulos
Co-produced by
Frenel
Executive Producers
Sebastian Strakowicz, Spyros Patsouras (Sphoenix)
Texts by
Foivos Dousos
Featuring (in order of appearance)
Kangela Tromokratisch, Er Libido, Aurora Paola Morado, Parakatyanova, SerGay Parakatyanov, McMorait, Cotsos, Lala Kolopi, Veronique & Cruella Tromokratisch
Narrator
Marisha Triantafyllidou
Director of Photography
Mihalis Gkatzogias
Music
Lykourgos Porfyris
Assistant Directors
Christos Adrianopoulos, Spyros Patsouras (Sphoenix)
Assistant Camera
Angelos Charalambous, Nikos Manolis, Eleni Lazaridi, Nefeli Dakozoudi, Andreas Kleanthous, Christos Adrianopoulos
Sound Recordists
Giorgos Kravvaritis, Pantelis Pilavios, Christos Sakellariou
Props
Soni Papadopoulos
Nails
Tanda Lysa
Graphics
Petros Antoniou
Animations
Angelos Charalambous
Color
Dimitris Manoussiakis
Sound Mastering
GeorgieBoy
Artists Liaison
Erifyli Mikropoulou
Unit Stills
Alex Kat
Production Assistants
Gabriela Obiala, Soni Papadopoulos, Petros Antoniou, Katerina Koukoutsaki, Maritina Tselepi, Vasilis Papavarsamis, Nefeli Tsigkeli, Nikos Kostaras, Petros Touloudis, Alex Demetriou
Equipment by
Frenel Rental
Subtitles
Alex Demetriou