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Being BeBe

Tribeca Online Premieres

Online World Premiere

FEATURE | United States, Cameroon | 90 MINUTES | English, French, Pidgin English | English subtitles

BEING BEBE

New York, Comedy, Dance, Documentary, LGBTQIA, Music, Biography, Fashion

In 2009, BeBe Zahara Benet went from performing at Minneapolis Pride to being crowned the triumphant winner of season one of RuPaul’s Drag Race. When you’ve always found yourself the biggest personality in every room you enter, being thrust into the spotlight of the public stage should feel like a natural fit. But as a Cameroonian-American immigrant, BeBe—aka Marshall Ngwa—felt the pressure of conflicting cultural expectations. How does one embrace a career as a proud LGBTQ performer in the US, while anticipating the disapproval of conservative Cameroon, where being gay is an imprisonable offense? And how do you live up to being one of West Africa’s biggest success stories, while simultaneously being underestimated and discriminated against in the American entertainment industry? With all eyes on him, Marshall does what only he can, navigating the complexities of race, gender and sexuality with poise, persistence and purpose. Sharing 15 years of unfettered access to Marshall’s story, filmmaker Emily Branham presents his unique love affair with performance alongside his unstoppable pursuit of Queer Black Excellence, offering an unprecedented portrait of an artist who chooses to live a creative life against all odds. —Lucy Mukerjee


CAST & CREDITS

Directed by Emily Branham

Emily Branham is a filmmaker captivated by artists, performance, and identity. She directs for organizations including Lincoln Center, AT&T, and JP Morgan. Her short films screened at IDFA, Sheffield Doc/Fest, Rooftop Films, and elsewhere. Originally from Minneapolis, she now lives in New York. Being BeBe is her first feature.

Director
Emily Branham
Producer
Emily Branham, Marc Smolowitz, Jonathan Goodman Levitt
Cinematographer
Sinisa Kukic, Jeremy Wilker, Emily Branham
Editor
James Codoyannis, Emily Branham
Composer
Helene Faussart (Les Nubians)
Co-Producer
Bat-Sheva Guez, Diego Wyatt
Cast
BeBe Zahara Benet (aka Nea Marshall Kudi Ngwa)

CONTACTS

Print Source
Marc Smolowitz
13th Gen
San Francisco, CA 94112
Phone: 415 370 0434
films@13thgenfilm.com
Press Contact
Kathryn Harvey
Tribeca Film Festival
New York, 10013 NY
Phone: 212 941 4000
kharvey@tribecafilm.com
International Sales Contact
Marc Smolowitz
13th Gen
San Francisco, CA 94112
Phone: 415 370 0434
films@13thgenfilm.com
US Sales Contact
Marc Smolowitz
13th Gen
San Francisco, CA 94112
Phone: 415 370 0434
films@13thgenfilm.com
Press Contact
Marc Smolowitz
13th Gen
San Francisco, CA 94112
Phone: 415 370 0434
films@13thgenfilm.com