Becoming Drag King

Cha, 23, is a Drag King. On stage, he is PowerBeauTom, a musician with a boundless energy who celebrates freedom. Through this emancipating art form, he can play the codes of the genre, break free from injunctions and transcend an alienating binarity. Cha shares his story.

By becoming King, Cha was able to put into words a suffering that had weighed on him since childhood: that of not conforming to his assigned sex at birth. When he entered the drag world, he realized that one can choose fluidity over rigidity. He formed strong bonds with those who, like him, felt truly themselves on the scene. Through encounters, workshops and shows, Cha has blossomed. But what happens once he gets off the stage? Will he be able to fully live his transidentity?

Far from limiting itself to a spectacular dimension, this documentary questions the social and political scope of the Drag King scene – much less known than its feminine counterpart. Initiating to the origins of this art and immersing us in its festive atmosphere, Manon Selli’s first film particularly shines by its intimate side, combining Cha’s personal archives with deep and sincere testimonies of his relatives.