“What’s stopping you, what are you afraid of?” Array has revealed an official US trailer for an indie drama titled Alaska Is a Drag, made by filmmaker Shaz Bennett. This originally premiered in 2017, but has been quietly awaiting release as it’s a low film about being gay in Alaska. Thanks to Ava DuVernay’s Array, it will finally be available on Netflix at the end of this month. Tough, but still diva fabulous, Leo, an aspiring drag superstar, is stuck working in a fish cannery in Alaska. He and his twin sister are trapped in the monotony of fist fights and fish guts. Out of necessity, Leo learns to fight back, which catches the attention of the local boxing coach. When a new boy moves to town and wants to be his sparring partner, Leo has to face the real reason he’s stuck in Alaska. Starring Martin L. Washington Jr. as Leo, along with Maya Washington, Jason Scott Lee, Margaret Cho, and Matt Dallas. This looks like an authentically told story of honesty.
Here’s the official trailer (+ posters) for Shaz Bennett’s Alaska Is a Drag, from Array’s YouTube:
Inspired by Bennett’s own experiences, Alaska Is a Drag explores themes around the fluidity of gender identity, conforming to norms and being accepted for who you are. The fish out-of-water dramedy centers on Leo (Martin L Washington Jr.), a glam-obsessed young man with dreams of being a drag superstar, while working in a fish cannery in Alaska and defending himself against homophobic attacks. After taking abuse from the town bully one too many times, Leo and his twin sister Tristen (Maya Washington) put his unlikely punching skills to the test with the help of his boss and former amateur boxer (Jason Scott Lee). Alaska Is a Drag is both written and directed by American writer / filmmaker Shaz Bennett, making her feature directorial debut after a number of shorts previously and other production work. This originally premiered at the Frameline San Francisco LGBTQ Film Festival in 2017. Array will finally release Bennett’s Alaska Is a Drag streaming on Netflix starting December 31st, 2020 later this month. So who’s curious?
