Georgie Girl

Georgina Beyer appears to be role model material--a strong, independent Maori woman, who rose from the school of hard knocks and relative obscurity to be elected mayor of a rural New Zealand community, Beyer was eventually elected to Parliament. Unlike most politicians, however, Beyer's also earnestly honest when it comes to her past…and what a past it is! Relatively unknown in the United States, Beyer made international headlines in 1999 as the first transsexual in history to be elected to a national government. In Annie Goldson and Peter Wells' delightfully frank biopic, Georgina talks openly about her former life as a transvestite, as well as how she discovered her true identity among transgendered people. Beyer's multi-varied life choices and jobs have included drug user, exotic dancer in a gay bar, sex worker, television actress, torch-singer (in fact, she's still cutting records today), and a politician whose electorate happens to be largely rural, conservative, and white. Go figure. In addition to candid interviews, Beyer shares stories, photos, and footage from her childhood and young adulthood (this sort of transparency in a politician is so refreshingly novel, it's almost more interesting than Beyer's history…almost). Yes, we see 1970s video footage of Beyer stripping in a gay club, but it's hardly more eye-opening than a recent interview on 60 Minutes where she's treated more like a showbiz freak than a politician. Most remarkable of all is the present-day Beyer who we see nervously awaiting election results, visiting her constituents (she has a fan club of little old ladies), speaking before Parliament, and chatting with the Prime Minister. A fascinating portrait of a remarkable woman, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (A. Cantú)