António Carlos Fontoura directed this queer horror film in 1974, which has since become a cult classic (now presented in a restored copy). The Queen Diaba (played by Milton Gonçalves, 1933-2022) is the one who controls, from the backstage of a brothel, the organised crime in the city. With matte eye shadow and a razor ready to dominate (legs or traitors), her authority over the cartel will be called into question and war is imminent.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the 60s. The Devil Queen, black, travesti, rules over the marginal world of the drug dealers and brothels. But soon the Queen’s cruel and dazzling domination will be questioned, and glitter will mix with blood. With pose and nerve, the cult 1974 film, directed by Antônio Carlos Fontoura, surprises with its multifaceted characters that cannot be labeled in the usual fashion. The film is presented in its restored version of 2022, the year of the death of the protagonist Milton Gonçalves. A milestone of trans representation, the film is back on the big screens to be re-contextualised and take its place in the future of the queer film. (Anastasia Lukovnikova)