Alaska Is A Drag

This film is appearing in the Reeling Film Festival in Chicago. http://reelingfilmfestival.org/

In her enchanting feature debut "Alaska Is A Drag," writer/director Shaz Bennett pulls no punches when it comes to showing how brutal and isolated Alaska can be, especially if you are anything different than the norm. Leo (newcomer Martin L. Washington, Jr.) is just that, and more. He may work gutting fish in a cannery by day, but at night this black gay youth is a fierce and fabulous diva who loves nothing more than donning a sequin gown and performing. The other passion in his life is his twin sister, Tristen (Maya Washington; no relation), with whom he shares a scrappy trailer home and supports as she battles cancer.

Leo makes no effort to pretend to be anyone other than who he is. That doesn't make it easy to assimilate with his rough workmates, who like to spend every non-working moment traveling in packs, drinking and looking for fights. The ringleader, Kyle (Christopher O'Shea), is gung-ho in trying to beat up Leo on the merest excuse because, as it turns out, he has a hidden agenda. However, Leo has learned a few nifty self-defense moves and so can hold his own -- so much so that his boss Diego (Jason Scott Lee) encourages to take up boxing.

Into this scenario comes newcomer Declan (Matt Dallas), who had been lured to Alaska with his father with the promise of an easy fortune which never materialized. He is now seeking work at the fish cannery. He is quite the loner, and instead of joining in with the rest of his crude, beer-swilling workmates, he takes a shine to Leo, and they form an unlikely friendship.

The only thing keeping Leo and Tristan there is the lack of money After paying for Tristan's chemo treatment they have been trying to save money to see their mother, who had abandoned them when they were toddlers, in Las Vegas. For the first few years there had been a steady flow of postcards from her that had kept their dreams of a reconciliation alive, but now that these have dried up, they are desperate to visit.

Suddenly they are offered the possible means to make this happen, with an invite to perform in a national drag show. The first step is to submit an audition tape. They persuade Jan (a sublime Margaret Cho) to allow them to do this in her perpetually empty bar, which they insist is gay even though there is no one else there aside from a few local drunks. There is also the possibility of getting some prize money in a proper boxing match in which the opponent is Kyle, which is a real win-win situation for Leo.

The movie was successfully developed from a short with the same name, and with its intriguing story that paints a compelling picture of life on the edges for this determined and very likable young man. Kudos to Bennet for her fully-rounded and unique characters, which are totally void of the usual cliched stereotypes that sadly seep into so many LGBT dramas. The casting is spot-on, with the two young talented Washingtons giving compelling performances. The subtle chemistry between Leo and Matt Dallas as Declan, his friend and sparring partner, is particularly refreshing. The sight of Margaret Cho performing an original sing dressed as a Drag King is probably worth the price of admission all by itself.

Bennet's story is one of hope, which seems to be otherwise in short supply in this godforsaken corner of the world, and although the happy ending is not one that young Leo had dreamed of, just the reality of being able to leave Alaska behind would have been more than enough for him. And for us too.