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London is a wondrous city. It is full of lights, arts, foods, spectacular sights and more. It is also full of culture. With Dressed as a Girl, the film dives into an intimate look of the East End London drag scene. Directed by London-based Colin Rothbart, the film is a colourful journey that follows key moments in the day-to-day lives of the cast members and their families. A layered film, Dressed as a Girl isn’t your typical documentary.
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This film is brilliant in so many ways. Colin directed the film as though we were in the palm of each storyteller’s hands. The way the documentary plays out, it is almost as if Colin, along with producer Chris Amos, sat down and plotted every single detail out. They then got the film’s crew together and brought every carefully plotted detail to life. The amount of effort that went into the creation of the documentary is apparent. The final product could have benefited from being about half an hour longer, as there is almost a want to see more.
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Each shot of the documentary, while jerky at moments, is gripping; there's always that need for more, more, more. Thankfully, each story transitions well, meaning no confusion; there’s also enough information to work with, along with no jagged edits, cuts or transitions that can so often be a nuisance. Colin also applies a brilliant use of the spectrum to assist with the flow of not only the stories, but the general film. The colours help with explaining each situation and they help hold the eye.
Sadly, there are not enough documentaries that live up to the brilliant standard that has now been set by Dressed as a Girl. It’s an absolutely fascinating piece of work. You’re not quite sure what to expect, or when to expect it. Overall, Dressed as a Girl packs some great punches. It’s an emotional roller coaster. It was an official selection of numerous film festivals, including an Official Selection at this year's East End Film Festival . Full of vibrancy and life, Dressed as a Girl is worth watching.