Darling! The Pieter-Dirk Uys Story (2007)
Directed by Julian Shaw
Sub-Genres - Politics & Government, Social Issues |
Run Time - 54 min. |
Countries - Australia |
MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Jason Buchanan
Immediately taken by South African political satirist Pieter-Dirk Uys after witnessing a performance by the polarizing entertainer in Sydney, Australia, then-fifteen year old aspiring filmmaker Julian Shaw approached the outspoken opponent of apartheid and AIDS activist requesting his permission to become the subject of a documentary. The resulting film paints an intimate portrait of a performer who always kept his personal life private as he strived to raise public awareness about some pretty important issues. In addition to criticizing the white minority South African government by means of his wildly popular character Evita Bezuidenhout, Uys has also rallied to raise AIDS awareness in schoolchildren though what he calls "AIDS Awareness Entertainment," and continues to speak out against what he refers to as the "new apartheid." Passionate performance footage contrasts deeply personal autobiographical segments in order to give audiences a well-rounded impression of both the man and his mission.
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Keywords
activism, AIDS, Apartheid, bigotry, cross-dressing, discrimination, epidemic, prejudice