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Mother’s
Even before there was talk of a drag queen scene in other Belgian cities, the eponymous Maman was running a bustling nightclub in the heart of Brussels. In Mother’s, Hippolyte Leibovici guides us into her universe. Focused and experienced, a handful of drag artists prepare for their metamorphosis, though behind those glamorous façades lie insecurities and sorrow. “Below the glitter there was the stress,” we hear. As a spectator, you are invited to the make-up table for fifteen minutes, whilst four drag queens reflect with humour and self-deprecation on their identity and the quest to find it.
As a mother figure, Maman is keen to take the next generation under her wing. She offers guidance and advice: blunt reprimands and a few harsh life lessons. The title of this documentary—the possessive form of ‘mother’—is therefore apt. But where does parenthood begin and end? How does one react when a gay son comes out for a second time, this time as a drag performer? Is a mother’s love unconditional?
“It’s not what you say, but how you say it,” one of them declares. That feigned self-assurance is not a given. It is preceded by a struggle—one Maman fought even harder many generations ago. The courage, the perseverance, and the shared pain of these queer artists are laid bare through close-ups and personal anecdotes. But then, it’s showtime.
Bio Hippolyte Leibovici
Hippolyte Leibovici is a Franco-Belgian filmmaker. He graduated from INSAS with Mother’s, which was awarded the Magritte for Best Short Documentary.
Credits
Camera
Julien De Keukeleire
Editor
Leole Poubelle
Sound
Louison Assie, Victor Crestani
Film school
INSAS