Let these four fierce 'drag kids' give your heart a jolt of fabulosity in this new documentary
Megan Wennberg's film Drag Kids is now streaming for free on CBC Gem
If the CBC Arts docuseries Canada's a Drag ever has a "junior" edition, it might look a lot like Megan Wennberg's fabulous new documentary Drag Kids, which premiered at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival this past spring and is both airing tonight on CBC Docs POV and already streaming for free on CBC Gem.
The film follows four young drag artists — Queen Lactatia, Bracken Gvasalia, Suzan Bee Anthony and Laddy GaGa — as they come together in Montreal to perform at a competitive drag ball. It makes for a wonderfully uplifting testament to fearlessness of children, and to the unflinching support of their parents. And before (or after) you watch, CBC Arts talked to director Wennberg about the film and what it was like working with this new generation of drag.
Tell us about Drag Kids. What was the genesis of the project and how did it evolve from there?
When producer Erin Oakes pitched this idea to me last spring, I had no idea kids were doing drag, and I was immediately interested to find out more — who were these kids, why were they doing it, what did it mean to them? Over the course of filming the doc last summer, I was privileged to get to know each of the kids in their hometowns and to witness firsthand what drives them, as well as the challenges they face. As a filmmaker, I've always been drawn to characters, points of view and worlds that are new to me, and the Drag Kids are all totally unique.
How did you find the kids and what was it like working with them?
One of our subjects, Queen Lactatia, had received quite a bit of press in the past and was the first drag kid that we reached out to. Lactatia's mother, Jessica, introduced us to other drag kids within their social media circle and it went from there. I feel very lucky we got to work with the kids we did, and I'm so grateful for the ways they and their families welcomed our small crew into their lives. The kids are all very different, but thanks to their love of drag and performing, they were all comfortable being on camera, and it was amazing to work with four such well-spoken kids. And we lucked out with the parents as well!
What did you personally learn from the kids and their parents? What was something that surprised you getting to know them?
The kids reminded me about the importance of being true to yourself by being your true self. I think this idea can easily get lost or disregarded as a platitude on a T-shirt or a meme (and it's very easy to ignore as we get older), but these kids were a real life wake up call to how crucial this is. And seeing how supportive their parents are — despite fears that their kids could face repercussions for being "different" — was an incredibly moving reminder of the power of love. None of these kids would be forging the paths they are without the self-affirming love and support provided by their parents.
What do you hope audiences take away from their stories and the film? What can the kids teach them?
The passion, bravery and self-awareness that these kids display at such young ages astounds me, and I am so excited to help share their stories. I hope this film inspires people to think about the ways in which they can express their true selves. These kids are fierce and fabulous and I think they challenge us all to think about what this could look like in our own lives, if we can be brave enough to follow our own wildest dreams.
Stream Drag Kids now on CBC Gem.