WATCH: A fiery love affair unfolds against the backdrop of Montreal’s sizzling drag scene in ‘Solo’
It’s a great week to be a Canadian drag queen!
On the heals of drag clown Jimbo snatching the Drag Race All Stars 8 crown for the North (she was the first Canadian and international queen to win a U.S. version of the franchise), it’s been announced that a new drama set in Montreal’s drag scene would make its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival this September.
Solo tell the story of Simon, a starry-eyed up-and-coming drag queen in Montreal. He’s got big ambitions, but finds himself distracted by two “impossible loves.”
First, there’s Oliver—also known as glamorous drag star Dragona. After a chance encounter, the two begin a passionate, physical affair, but Simon soon realizes their relationship could be destructive to both of their drag careers.
And then there’s Simon’s long-estranged mother, Claire, who arrives back in town after 15 years away, but makes it clear she’s still not all that invested in having a relationship with her son.
The result is a bracing an intimate character piece, with all the flair and panache—and killer lip syncs—you might expect from a film largely set at a drag bar.
The role of Simon looks to be a great showcase for rising young actor Théodore Pellerin, who’s already shown a lot of promise in projects like Boy Erased, The OA, and the underrated Showtime miniseries On Becoming A God In Central Florida opposite Kirsten Dunst.
And playing the volatile Oliver is French actor Félix Maritaud, who has quickly become one of the hottest names in international queer cinema, with roles in sex-worker drama Sauvage, moving AIDS period piece 120 BPM, witchy queer fable You Won’t Be Alone, and the adult film studio-set slasher Knife + Heart.
Solo comes from Quebecois filmmaker Sophie Dupuis (the director behind the critically acclaimed Underground and Family First), who was interested in exploring both the idea of toxic love and the transformative power of drag.
“Drag is political, it deconstructs, it liberates and allows oneself to exist freely,” Dupuis tells Variety. “We all need drag in this world that is overshadowed by intolerance.”
Solo will make its worldwide debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, which will run from September 7-17. Stay tuned for more details, festival dates, and when you can catch the film at a theater near you.
Check out the first trailer for the film below:
