Long before Lady Gaga shocked and wowed the media and audiences alike with her outrageous costumes, British artist and ‘living legend’ Andrew Logan created an outrageous event, the Alternative Miss World Show. Established in 1972 as a reaction to socio-political issues, the show was an opportunity for like-minded anarchists and quirky performers to enter a beauty pageant for outsiders. Predominantly consisting of male contestants dressing up as flamboyant females, the contest embraces creativity and transformation. Creator Andrew Logan assigns each show a theme, from Royal Imperial to the elements of the earth. Logan has since organised 11 shows and this fascinating documentary focuses on the planning and organisation of the 11th show in 2009 and the history of the shows, as well as a brief biography of the artist himself.
The documentary is constructed in much the same chaotic yet organised way as one of Logan’s shows and it perfectly embodies the spirit of the events and the people that make the events such a success. The organic approach that Logan and his long term partner Michael Davis take to the organisation of the shows is captivating, the end result pushing the boundaries of modern art and entertainment and blurring them into one lavish performance. The documentary gathers momentum as the build-up to the 11th show reaches a crescendo and we see the event take shape and who wins the much coveted AMW crown.
It is refreshing to see an artist who is not driven by commercialism and money, Logan stating that they generally make a small loss from each event and struggle with sponsorship every year they decide to put the event on. This in itself is inspiring as, while they have some famous friends and supporters, they still struggle but don’t get defeated by the practicalities of organisation.
The spirit of the show becomes ever more apparent as the film progresses, one part with a Nigerian contestant stood out for me. The man gets in touch with the organisers and says he wants to represent Nigeria, an organiser states that is not what the show is about but lets the man perform anyway. We see as a young man with scars on his legs, who has been persecuted in his home country, embraces the pageant and wears a costume comprising of exaggerated breasts. He is told after that he is fabulous and we see how much it means to him to be accepted for who he is. And that is the beauty of this pageant, it is not only gay people invited to the show, it is everybody and anybody, whatever size, shape, colour, age, everybody is allowed in and they really are fabulous, an important message that resonates throughout the film.
The early shows embody the counterculture of the late 70s and 80s, with Derek Jarman himself winning the crown at the third event as Miss Crepe Suzette. There is also plenty of bad taste and fans of John Waters, the king of bad taste, will be pleased to see Divine co-host the Alternative Miss World Show in 1978. The animated sequences used to illustrate Logan’s childhood and fill in the gaps between the footage of the shows are charming, cut-out collage effect layers depict the imagination and creativity that is abundant at an AMW show.
Logan is a likeable protagonist, not the least bit pretentious, and he comes across as a genuinely caring and all round nice guy. Featuring contributions from renowned celebrities such as Brian Eno, Ruby Wax, Zandra Rhodes, Richard O’Brien and Grayson Perry, who have taken part in the shows in one form or another, the film is a good balance of talking heads, footage of the shows, animation and photos, remaining entertaining for the duration. Credit must be given to the director for keeping the spectacle and entertainment of the shows in the film but allowing the depth and important issues at the root of them to linger enough to give food for thought.
This documentary is more than just a commentary on a subversive event, it poses questions about art and the commercialisation of modern art, subcultures and where they stem from, people’s preconceived notions and ignorance relating to issues depicted by the media, identity, boundaries and pushing those boundaries and much more whilst never losing the fun factor or taking itself too seriously.
Interestingly and appropriately, the documentary was produced through Microwave, a micro-budget film-making scheme from Film London and BBC Films.
An inspiring story and a visual treat, fans of fashion, film, music, art or just the avant-garde will enjoy this rare insight into a unique and all-embracing show and it certainly made me want to seek out the next one!
The DVD extras are rather limited with deleted scenes, trailer and a stills slideshow tracking the evolution of the Alternative Miss World Show.
Film Rating: 8/10
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