Diva intro montage

Quick cycle through shots, timed to the music

3 ^rd Party File > DRAG 3 ^rd PARTY FROM DIVA

- DIVA EXITING ELEVATOR.mov

- Diva stills

- GVs around Diva’s apartment of drag paraphernalia

Upsot Diva parody song

Let it play for 5-ish seconds

IN BEIRUT A NEW STAR IS SHINING BRIGHT

AND…IN DEFIANCE OF MIDDLE EASTERN SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS CONSERVATISM

Diva :

I’m Diva Beirut .. or the one and only Diva (laughs)

Montage continues

THOUGHT TRACK

Diva :

I started drag in 2018

00:46:24 – 00:46:38

When I put make up I’m entering into my new character …This is what I like the most. The transformation.

Sit down IV

Music from Diva’s parody song

UGC from her shows

Upsot music

Diva :

I do lip syncs. I do oriental, I do oriental dance, I do impersonation.

Diva looks to artists like Queer American Idol star Todrick Hall – whose music and lyrics inspire him artistically…

Quick Upsot todrick

… but with a twist

01:07

I cook, I eat, I do not slow down

During breakfast, I have lunch

And at dinner…. GASP

He pokes fun at himself in this Arabic parody of one of Hall’s famous hits

THOUGHT TRACK DIVA

“The most thing I do, and the fans like it, is the comedy”

Diva close up shot, face reveals down the barrel, winks at camera

01:39:50 – 01:40:10

Upsot song ends

Darren meets Diva
Wardrobe chat

Diva greets Darren at apartment door

01:52:30 – 01:53:45

Upsot Darren and Diva hellos at door

Actuality as Diva shows Darren his extensive wardrobe

Diva :

So here now, this is my, uh, drag room.

Cover with wardrobe scene

THOUGHT TRACK

Diva:

I always say in my shows, love yourself. Because when you love yourself, uh, everyone gonna love you

Can we make this a fun little Diva montage?

Diva puts on shisha hat

00:35:08 – 00:35:16

Diva puts on wig

00:34:30 – 00:34:40

Diva puts on big wig

“it’s a big style..

00:35:42 – 00:35:57

Beirut city shots

Video footage inside club during Diva drag show

3 ^RD PARTY FILE > guys destroy Blooming billboard.mp4

In 2018 Beirut emerged as a

HAVEN FOR QUEER CULTURE IN THE ARAB WORLD

AN APPEALS COURT RULING PAVED THE WAY FOR SAME SEX RELATIONS TO BE DECRIMINALISED

But only a year later everything started to change

THE 2019 PRIDE EVENT WAS CANCELLED WHEN THE ORGANIZER WAS ARRESTED ON CHARGES OF “INCITEMENT TO IMMORALITY”

AND ANTI-LGBT ACTIVISTS LIVE-STREAMED THE DESTRUCTION OF A PRIDE BILLBOARD

Sit down IV

Can cover with make up shots

Diva :

Arab world is not, is not the place where you can be free or where you can be whatever you want

Diva :

Look, when we started drag, like everyone was anonymous.

Diva :

I want to do my show and come back and remove everything. I don't want to go out in drag

TRYING TO FIND FILE OF BEIRUT PRIDE TO COVER THIS

Drag shows are now often impromptu and take place under tight security

And LAST YEAR the interior ministry ordered a clamp down on events promoting so-called “sexual perversion”

A WAVE OF HATE-SPEECH FOLLOWED

Sit down IV grabs

HRW explainer of legal questions around being gay in Lebanon

Diva :

We are not safe here

Diva :

someone can abuse us like in a talking way, or he can like beat us. No one can stop him.

Darren :

Has that happened?

Diva :

It didn't happen yet because I'm so beautiful

Actuality

Diva and Andrea put on make up

ARTISTS LIKE DIVA SAY THEY’LL DEFY THIS CRACKDOWN ON THEIR FREEDOMS …to bring visibility and hope to many supressed queer and drag communities across the Arab world

Actuality

Diva and Andrea put make up on

Can backlay this with Diva dancing

Rehearsal of performance

01:45:40 – 01:49:50 slo-mo shots of Diva rehearsing

00:59:20 – 00:59:42

D – We’re doing something that we’re proud of and you know it’s a little bit difficult here to explain to parents and to people because there’s no reference. We are the reference. We are the ones who are doing this the first

BUTT TO 01:03:02 – 01:03:24

D - I think we are the most people who has this voice and this platform

ALT

Sit down IV

Slo-mo shots of Diva rehearsing 01:45:40 – 01:49:50

Splice with Diva performing on stage

3 ^rd Party File > DRAG 3 ^rd PARTY FROM DIVA > FullSizeRender.mov

THOUGHT TRACK

BUTT TO 01:00:22 – 01:00:38

D –I want to say I’m a drag queen. I don’t want to hide myself. I don’t want to hide what I’m doing. So, yes I’m a drag queen and I’m not doing something wrong. I’m doing art, so I’m going to keep doing it.