what say you?

Alright, so this is the concept I am going to be pitching in today's class: opinions anyone?

Oh, and for those out of the know - I am a faghag by trade and Amazon is a good friend of mine. :D



What a Scene

When exotic stage performer Amazon celebrated her twentieth birthday in June of this year, Jamie turned thirty-four. With two decades of solid experience as a drag queen, What a Scene is an expose of the rich and colourful character that resides behind the glitz and glamour of a seasoned scene professional.

Hailing from New Zealand with Islander parents, Amazon spent the first fifteen years of her career establishing a name for herself overseas. Having ‘come out’ about her sexuality in her teens meant that she was able to establish herself as a name early on. However, this admission came at a personal cost as her lifestyle conflicted with the traditional beliefs held by her parents, who sternly rejected their son’s flamboyant homosexuality.

Consequently, the earlier part of her career was very much a lone journey that resulted in numerous risk-taking behaviours, almost jeopardising her career. Then, in her early twenties, Amazon was later diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder), for which she sought treatment and promptly returned work. She literally took the Auckland gay scene by storm, performing 6 out of 7 nights a week (with one week off in each month) for the next 4 years.

In 2002, after re-establishing a relationship with her family, Amazon’s quest to broaden her sense of self brought her to the shores of Melbourne, Australia, whereupon she has continued to win hearts and wow audiences. Although she no longer performs full-time, she is a very prominent and respected figure within the queer talent scene. What a Scene will delve beneath the wig and false eyelashes, documenting a step-by-step transformation from being Jamie to becoming Amazon. It will critically explore the subtleties and nuances surrounding identity, femininity and performance, and how they affected the other areas of her life.

The documentary aims to reveal the difficulties she has overcome in order to express her inner creativity within a minority group that is becoming increasingly rife with exclusion and divisiveness.


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