A new film by S4C Hansh will be following a group of patriotic drag queens climbing Snowdonia in their high heels in aid of charity.
Produced by ITV Cymru Wales for Hansh S4C, Queens Cwm Rag has been directed by filmmaker Lindsay Walker and will be premiered at the Iris Film Festival this month. The film documents the Cwm Rag drag queens making their way up Wales’s highest mountain to raise awareness and money for ‘Trans Aid Cymru’.
Director Lynsey Walker:
“I really wanted to create an accessible film for all with Queens Cwm Rag, to show how approachable and intelligent this group of people are but also to identify their struggles. Being gay is one thing, but growing up gay in Wales is another.
“What we found interesting was the fantastic response from local people. Most members felt anxious coming to Llanberis – but all the locals were incredibly welcoming and happy to see them! As a Welsh and gay person myself, It was fantastic to feel that sort of pride.”
Having resided in London for most of their adult lives, the film showcases the positive community that the group has created to celebrate their Welsh and LGBTQ+ identities, whilst also sharing their feelings of anxiety as they head home to Wales.
Las, a member of Cwm Rag, hopes that the group and the film will help to move the conversation of LGBT lives and matters in Wales forward.
“I think things are changing in Wales, but they are changing much slower than they are changing in London. And without people like us, doing what we are doing there will be no change. I believe we need to be some form of ‘driving force for that change in Wales.”
The film will be premiered in the IRIS Film Festival on the 11th of October, and available online on the 12th of October on HANSH S4C.
