Tell me what VENUS is about? 

 

Venus is about a female drag performer [Venus/Sophie] who uses drag as a medium to empower her .

 

What inspired you to choose this as your subject?

 

I've always be interested in drag and queer culture and I've wanted to make a film in that world for a long time.

I orginally planned on making a documentary following the drag collective [Shade] that Venus belongs to, but I feared with a short film and all these huge personalities that it'd just be too much and I wouldn't be able to do it justice; so my producer and I decided to pick who we felt was the most interesting of the bunch and from that development of Venus began.

 

And did you think it was important that you make a documentary in that world rather than fiction?

 

I've only recently, the past year or so, became interested in making documentaries, but yeah; I feel like it is important for these issues to be talked about with an honest voice. I think Sophie's voice is incredibly important.

 

What made Sophie stand out to you as a subject?

 

I think that the idea of a female drag queen is so much more interesting than that of a traditional queen and finding out why she performs and how empowering it can be for a woman in such a male dominated culture.

 

How much did you research drag and the female side of it before making this film?

 

I mean being a part of Newcastle's queer community and scene I've been pretty exposed to the newcastle drag world and I'm a fan of drag culture so I was already pretty in the know about female performers but as I began development of the film and began discussing it with people I realised how little people outside of that community actually knew. So I guess that was what I researched more; what people knew and what I thought was important that they did know. 

I also seeked out any and pretty much all exsisting films on the drag world and just immersed myself as much as I could in that world.

 

Who are your filmmaking influences?

 

I have loads. Specifically for Venus I drew a lot of inspiration from the Maysles brothers, they've done some of my favourite documenaries like Grey Gardens (1975) and Iris (2015). I was also influenced a lot by Paris is Burning (1990). I think all these films are so strikingly honest and that's something I aimed for with Venus. 

 

When can we hope to see Venus?

 

It'll be completed in May and screened sometime after that for one night at the Tyneside Cinema; though if you're local we are having a screening party at Prohibition Cabaret bar in Gateshead, details to be confirmed.