Victorian Queens

A snapshot of the wonderful and unique landscape of the Melbourne drag scene.

Victorian Queens explores Melbourne's unique drag community through four very intimate and distinct portraits. The four drag artists profiled, Lady Diamond, Aysha Buffet, Zodiac and Art Simone, all hold a unique place in Melbourne’s diverse drag scene. The film showcases their progressive leadership through artistic expression while they push for cultural change and inclusion.

Curator’s Note
Joseph Gardner and Andrew Cox’s celebratory documentary highlights what makes Melbourne’s drag community so special. Through these very different performers and their experiences we come to understand the importance they hold in elevating voices that champion the scene's commitment to diversity. The inspiration for the documentary was born out of the filmmaker's shared admiration for Jennie Livingston’s cult documentary Paris is Burning (1990), adopting that film's observational, verité aesthetic as we explore the queer spaces and geographies that they live and perform in.