Queer feminist artists behind Club Burlesque Brutal talk about their work in this engaging and at times thrilling documentary by Austrian filmmakers Liesa Kovac and Nick Prokeschand.
The appearance of a naked female body on stage can still be regarded as a radical political act. For the queer-feminist artists behind Club Burlesque Brutal, it is a demand for the normality of female desire. This is a troupe that, by pushing boundaries within their act, highlights the desire that exists between women, which can be beautiful and brutal in equal measure. In this remarkably candid documentary, seven artists talk about what drew them to this particularly radical form of burlesque, discussing their struggles with gender identity, body politics and sexuality, all of which are explored during their performances. And what performances they are. Deftly woven into the fabric of the film, these exquisite acts have lost none of their vibrant live potency. This is radical queer art as it is meant to be.
