DRAMA QUEEN

Immediately after the feature, ticket holders can enjoy a pre-recorded bonus Q&A with director Kay Nguyen!

Official Selection, 2020 Seoul International Pride Film Festival

We all deserve to be seen and validated for who we are. But sometimes we need a friendly push to make that reality possible. Like witnessing a murder and being hunted by assassins! That’s the fate of Hang Duong (pop star Nguyễn Hương Giang) who has always identified as a woman, but never had the funds to pay for gender-affirming surgery. After stumbling upon a killing, she scrounges up the money to move forward with surgery, allowing her to achieve her dream while also hiding from the local gang. A beauty pageant presents the perfect opportunity to repay her debts while hiding safely–that is, until the gang enters their own contestant into the competition to find her!

Equal parts beauty contest romp and affirmation of transgender visibility, DRAMA QUEEN is always two steps ahead of a world mired in bigotry and ignorance. It’s also a colorful star vehicle for Huong Giang, one of Asia’s biggest trans idols, who plays Hang Duong with an effervescent growing self-confidence that honors a lifetime of hiding in her own skin, and the conviction to stand on stage and tell the world who she is.

–James Paguyo

Co-Presented by USD United Front Multicultural Commons, USD LGBTQ+ & Allies Commons