MQFF 2021 Film Review: Being Bebe
Images courtesy of Melbourne Queer Film Festival.
Being Queen was never supposed to be easy…
Bebe. Zahara. Benet. An iconic name that inspires love, reverence, and tonnes of applause, but underneath the teased wigs and sequined dresses, who is the person behind the name? Emily Branham’s Being Bebe plunges audiences into the world of the legendary winner of season one of RuPaul’s Drag Race, taking us all the way back, from her roots in Cameroon, to present day.
Before Bebe, there was Nea Marshall Kudi Ngwa, an effervescent young man living in central Africa’s Cameroon, and doing the occasional bit of male modelling. Then one fateful day at a fashion show, when a few of the female models failed to show up, Marshall volunteered to take their place, “put me in a dress”. And just like that, a star is born. The documentary then artfully guides us along in its story detailing Bebe’s life. Of course, her fight for the crown on RuPaul’s Drag Race season one is included, as is the development of her two headlining shows Creature and Reveal, alongside Branham’s surgical splicing in of archive footage from Bebe’s first pageants, interviews with her family, and words of reflection from the present-day Queen herself.
Whilst it is undeniably soul warming and joyous to be in the presence of the radiant world of Bebe Zahara Benet, what struck me most about this documentary in particular was its intersectionality. Not only does Being Bebe detail the life and times of Bebe herself, but also the ongoing hell that exists for queer and gay people living in Cameroon today, as well as the turbulent path of pursuing artistic dreams when you are not completely financially stable. The most shocking and saddening moments of this film occur when a group of anonymous gay men living in Cameroon, as well as a Cameroonian LGBTQIA+ rights activist, detail the immutably dangerous and strict conditions all gay and queer people are forced to navigate living in Cameroon. The most bizarre and telling of how much homophobia still reigns supreme, involved a story of men being harassed by the police and taken to prison for drinking Baileys Irish Cream, a ‘clear indicator’ of their homosexuality because Baileys is a sweet drink ‘for girls’. Of course, Bebe’s own struggles with being a gay man in Africa are told and given their time, but Bebe is clearly not afraid to share the spotlight with others, to highlight the struggles of people who cannot ‘live out loud’ as she herself can.
The issue of money too is ever present in the background of all Bebe’s projects. The assumption from the over-the-top glitz and glamour of every costume, set and music video suggests a seemingly unending flow of opulence and wealth. However, Branham thoughtfully takes time to demonstrate that this is not always the case, and that there can be incredible risk involved in choosing the ‘unconventional’ artistic path. At one point in the film, Bebe’s entire living situation in New York completely hinges upon the success of one of her shows, thus revealing the enormous pressure many of these queens regularly feel to succeed in every lip sync that they give.
Being Bebe will have you hooked for its entire runtime, with moments of unbridled sass and laughs always underscored by sombre gestures to Bebe’s homeland of Cameroon, and the struggles of her community there. A surprising mix of pleasure and pain not to be missed.
Being Bebe is scheduled to play at the Melbourne Queer Film Festival running from the 18th to the 29th of November. Tickets are available now - click here for more info.