by Annette Basile
Worth: $18.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Venus Xtravaganza, John Pellagatti Jr., Joseph Pellagatti, Louie Pellagatti, Gisele Xtravaganza
Intro:
… a profound, unforgettable and timely film.
John Pellagatti is searching in his garage for the Christmas gift that he’d bought for his sister Venus – a gift he never had the chance to give her. Venus, a trans woman, was murdered on 21 December 1988. She was 23. The gift – perfume – is especially significant as it’s the first present John had bought for Venus that acknowledged her as a woman. The gift is symbolic of his shift towards understanding and accepting his trans sister.
New Jersey natives of Italian-Puerto Rican descent, this deeply affecting documentary covers John and his younger brothers Joseph and Louie as they attempt to get the cold case of Venus’s homicide reopened.
Venus Xtravaganza is known as one of the stars of the documentary, Paris Is Burning, which covers the LGBTQ + ballroom scene – a documentary that was released nearly two years after her death. Venus, described here as a feisty, funny, and a free spirit, has a tangible presence throughout the film and we meet her largely through edited segments of Paris is Burning.
She was adopted into the House of Xtravaganza, a surrogate family and competitor on the ballroom circuit. Here, the current Xtravaganza house mother, Gisele, works with the three Pellagatti brothers in their united quest for closure and justice. Venus, says Gisele, wasn’t the only trans woman murdered.
Gisele and the tough-as-nails brothers are an unlikely team, making this doco all the more interesting for that contrast. Director Kimberly Reed’s film isn’t slickly presented with animations and graphics, but the storytelling is so powerfully raw that it really doesn’t need the trimmings. Reed is best known for her 2008 documentary Prodigal Sons, which explores her own family and includes the incredible discovery that her adopted brother (now deceased) was the secret grandson of Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth.
Despite the inherent sadness of Venus’s story, Reed deftly avoids a bleak viewing experience. Without giving too much away, there are victories and hope woven into the true tale, as well as the joyful self-expression within the vibrant ballroom scene. This film is not just about Venus – who was vulnerable as she was a sex worker – but about the violence directed at trans people. Yet Reed never loses focus on Venus.
Carried on a rollercoaster of emotions, I’m Your Venus is a profound, unforgettable and timely film.
