Doc

Being BeBe

Heartfelt and fun, this documentary charts the life of BeBe Zahara Benet, the first winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

  • Director

    Emily Branham

  • Producers

    Emily Branham, Marc Smolowitz, Jonathan Goodman Levitt

  • With

    BeBe Zahara Benet (aka Marshall Kudi Ngwa)

  • USA-Cameroon 2021. 93min

  • Language

    English, French. With English subtitles

  • Sales 13th Gen

Marshall Ngwa began life as a kid from Cameroon – the only boy in his home economics class and a beloved member of a tight-knit family. Longing for sexual and artistic freedom, he emigrated to the US and won Drag Race as BeBe in 2009 – an encouraging sign for his worried parents. But being the first is not always easy. As the show’s popularity skyrocketed, later winners were rewarded with commensurate wealth, opportunities and exposure. Left behind, BeBe has had to find new ways to reinvent herself in the face of economic and social turmoil, and she does so with bucket loads of grit. Being BeBe is a fascinating portrait of a performance artist who is truly dedicated to the craft.

Jay Bernard

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