Identity Parade
Written by Sarah Bella | 28 April 2010
http://cherrie.com.au/feature/identity-parade-002993.html (http://cherrie.com.au/feature/identity-parade-002993.html)
Shani Williams describes herself as 'happiest when blurring the gender lines'. The Australian-born, Dublin-based performance artist is featured in Identities, one of the only films to chart the multicultural transgender community in Ireland. Headed to Australia to perform at screenings of Identities, Williams talks to Sarah Bella about drag, gender and being part of an award-winning documentary.
Tell me about Identities. How did you come to be involved?
In Identities, five personal stories give shape to the different but parallel worlds of transvestism, transsexualism, drag, sexual identity and gender dysphoria. I had worked with director Vittoria Colonna on a music clip she directed, and she approached me with interest in my drag persona, as well as the fact that I switch to high femme. I had pictured I would be doing a 'how to' of drag kinging, but it ended up as more of an up-close and personal interview.