By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Emily Branham
Country: cameroon, united_states
Year: 2021
Running time: 90
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10776654/reference
Chris says: “BeBe Zahara Benet won the first season of RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE, but that was back in 2009 when the show’s cultural footprint was comparatively microscopic to now. Although Benet has reemerged in the spotlight, thanks to a final four showing in season 3 of ALL-STARS in 2018, he’s had to work and adapt to forge a career. All of this is extensively documented in BEING BEBE, which gives the impression it was shot over many years, with Benet in 2020 often watching this footage of herself over time. While he’s an affable presence, the film itself is decidedly average. It only goes beyond the norm when it explores his background growing up in Cameroon and how the virulently homophobic country has shaped him and other queer individuals (some of whom we meet with their faces blurred out to protect their identity.) Fans of Benet will appreciate this portrait, but there are far more interesting drag docs out there. 3 cats”
“Screened at the Provincetown International Film Festival”
Cheryl says: “An extensive look at the rise of BeBe Zahara Benet to superstar status. With access to over fifteen years of footage, the director takes us on BeBe’s journey from her home in Cameroon to Minneapolis to Ru Paul’s Drag Race and back again. The scenes with her family at the end are the most powerful, where their love and respect for her shine through. Everything is bright and shiny but all surface. As Chris mentioned in his review, the film shies away from focusing on the oppression of the LGBTQ+ community in Cameroon, and instead holds up BeBe as a role model for young drag performers and all queer youth. Compared with THIRSTY, an in-depth portrait of Provincetown performer Thirsty Burlington, BEING BEBE is more like an extended reality show bio segment. 3 cats
“Screened at the Provincetown International Film Festival“