ONCE UPON A WETLAND

description

ONCE UPON A WETLAND is a short documentary that plunges into the heart of Durham’s beloved Beaver Queen Pageant, a raucous, homegrown drag competition that blends environmental activism with community-powered camp. From beaver ballads to glittery protest signs, the pageant turns performance into resistance and transforms a local park into a sanctuary for radical joy. Told through the voices of longtime pageant organizers and first-time contestants, the film highlights the grassroots brilliance of a community that has spent nearly two decades building a space where queerness and conservation thrive together.

At a time when anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation looms large across the U.S., ONCE UPON A WETLAND offers a playful and poignant look at how local traditions can hold space for defiance, connection, and collective care.

OFFICIAL SELECTION
Sidewalk Film Festival 2025
Cucalorus Film Festival 2025
South Carolina Underground Film Festival 2025
RiverRun International Film Festival 2026